Updated: December 15, 2020 2:07:11 pm
Tamil Nadu Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan at the IIT-Madras campus on Monday (Express Photo)
At least 79 residents of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chennai tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday, bringing the number of infected on campus to 183. The cluster of cases at IIT-Madras has prompted the government to give instructions to the functionaries. to monitor other colleges and universities across the state.
A team from the Tamil Nadu Department of Health and Chennai Corporation is already testing Covid-19 at universities in Chennai.
“The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Edapaddi K Palaniswami, has instructed the district collectors to closely monitor other colleges and universities. We are conducting aggressive testing … We have already issued two Government Orders (GO), and if any person or management does not comply with them, we will take action against them under the Epidemic Diseases Act, ”Dr. Radhakrishnan told reporters in Chennai .
He said the IIT-Madras group served as a lesson for those who don’t wear masks and follow safety precautions. “People think that the positive cases of Covid-19 have decreased and therefore they do not need to wear masks or maintain social distance. This is happening in wedding rooms, restaurants, etc.
“Students must realize the seriousness of the disease. Sitting together without social distancing, sharing food in a mess are the main reasons for the spread of Covid. We will take action against management for allowing these things to happen. We cannot continue to require you to follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). We are issuing a warning through this press meeting, ”he added.
Dr. Radhakrishnan said that he visited IIT-Madras members who were admitted to the King’s Institute in Guindy. “They are stable and are being monitored,” he confirmed.
Meanwhile, Chennai Corporation Commissioner G Prakash said samples were taken for testing from some residents on the IIT campus. A second round of testing would be carried out in 10 days, during which the remaining samples would be taken. This approach, he said, was known as the “100% saturation approach.”
“We apply the same strategy in the Koyembedu market and other areas of the city. We test more than four lakh of samples in repeated cycles. Through this method, if we complete two cycles, we can eradicate the danger, ”he said.
“Similar to this, our zone officers have begun testing at other institutions in the city,” he added.
Students residing in Anna University hostels are tested after a student had a fever. According to S Iniyan, dean of the Guindy College of Engineering, up to 400 students will be assessed in the first phase.
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