All COVID positive students stable, says IIT Madras as number of cases reaches 100 — students quarantined in rooms

All COVID positive students of IIT Madras are currently stable and are admitted to a COVID care centre in the vicinity, the institute said in a statement. At the same time, the number of students who tested positive for COVID crossed the 100 mark. The institute has been placed under a lockdown, with all students been asked to quarantine.

"IIT Madras has been functioning with limited capacity with only 10 per cent of students in the hostel. All these students are research scholars who need to carry out experimental works in the labs," reads the institute's statement. "As soon as a spurt of symptomatic cases was reported by some students residing in the hostels, the institute has consulted the civic authorities and has arranged for all students residing in hostels to be tested for COVID. To be cautious, all students have been asked to remain in their rooms and packed food is being supplied to them," it says. The students had previously alleged that the institute's decision to function a single mess for 700 students was the reason for the spread.

"IIT Madras has been permitting research scholars who need to do experimental wor to return to campus since August in a calibrated manner, with a 14-day quarantine and testing for each returnee," reads the statement. However, it added that a few project staff residing in the city were also visiting the campus regularly. "An SoP is in place to determine how many project staff and scholars can work safely in each lab based on its size, ventilation etc.," says the institute.

Previously while talking to The New Indian Express, TN Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said that health authorities are working closely with IIT Madras to contain the spread.

At the same time, notwithstanding the increasing student outrage, the institute went ahead to conduct its end semester examinations for certain courses in centres across the country in an offline mode. However, no exams were held in the institute.