Updated: December 15, 2020 4:05:48 pm
Tamil Nadu Health Minister J Radhakrishnan on Monday on the IIT Madras campus (Express photo)
At least 79 residents of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chennai tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday. The number of people infected on campus rose to 183. The surge of cases in IIT-Madras has led the government to instruct officials to monitor other colleges and universities across the state.
A team from the Tamil Nadu Department of Health and the Chennai Corporation is already conducting Covid-19 testing at colleges across Chennai.
“Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edapaddi K Palaniswami has ordered district collectors to closely monitor other colleges and universities. We run aggressive tests … We have already issued two Government Orders (GOs). If a person or management does not comply, we will take action against them under the Epidemic Diseases Act, ”said Dr. Radhakrishnan told reporters in Chennai.
He said the IIT-Madras cluster was a lesson for those who did not wear masks and followed safety precautions. “People believe that Covid-19 positive cases have occurred, so they don’t need to wear masks or maintain social distance. This happens in wedding halls, restaurants, etc.
“Students need to recognize the severity of the disease. Sitting together without social distance and sharing food in a mess are the main reasons for the spread of Covid. We will take action against management to make these things happen. We cannot constantly ask them to adhere to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). We are issuing a warning through this press conference, ”he added.
Dr. Radhakrishnan said he had visited members of the IIT Madras who were admitted to the King’s Institute in Guindy. “They are stable and monitored,” he confirmed.
Meanwhile, Chennai Corporation commissioner G Prakash said samples had been taken for testing from some residents of the IIT campus. A second round of testing would be conducted in 10 days, during which the remaining samples would be taken. This approach is known as the “100 percent saturation approach”.
“We have used the same strategy in Koyembedu Market and other areas of the city. We tested more than four lakh samples in repetitive cycles. With this method we can eliminate the danger when we do two cycles, ”he said.
“Similarly, our zone officials have started testing in other facilities in the city,” he added.
Students living in Anna University dormitories are tested after a student develops a fever. According to S Iniyan, the dean of the College of Engineering at Guindy, up to 400 students will be tested in the first phase.
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