New Delhi (NVI): The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) has has shut down its departments, centres, labs and the library, after over 100 people tested COVID-19 positive, a majority of them students, in the past two weeks.
A total of 104 students and others have contracted the disease and all were doing well in a hospital, Tamil Nadu Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said.
Of the 444 samples lifted till date, 104 have tested positive for COVID-19, he said, adding from December 1 to 12, samples from the institute turning positive steadily increased from a few to 33 specimens today.
“All of them are being treated at the King’s Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research as per the directive of Chief Minister K Palaniswami and they are all doing well,” he said.
According to a media statement released by the institute, IIT Madras has been functioning on limited capacity with only about 10% students, mostly research scholars being accommodated in the hostels. All these students are research scholars who need to carry out experimental work in the labs.
“As soon as a spurt in symptomatic cases was reported by some students residing in the hostels, the Institute consulted the civic authorities and has arranged for all students residing in hostels to be tested for COVID,” the statement read.
It added, “To be cautious, all students have been asked to remain in their rooms and packed food is being supplied to the students in the hostels.”
Media statement from #IITMadras – 14th December 2020 pic.twitter.com/atJSrxP1sR
— IIT Madras (@iitmadras) December 14, 2020
COVID-19 numbers in Tamil Nadu and its capital Chennai, which was earlier a hotspot, have drastically come down. On Sunday the state reported 1,195 cases, with Chennai accounting for 340. Though the state’s COVID tally is nearing 8 lakh, active cases are at 10,115.
-CHK
