IIT Kanpur forms task force to check Covid-19 spread

KANPUR: Amid coronavirus scare, IIT-Kanpur administration has taken measures to keep the campus residents, including students, faculty members, their families, staff and visitors safe.
In this regard, the institute’s administration, besides constituting a task force for covid-19, has put into immediate implementation the protocols laid down by it. All the campus residents and visitors have been asked to follow the guidelines to stay safe from the deadly virus.
These measures have been taken keeping in view the movement of regular visitors and the faculty members and students often visiting foreign universities for academic work.
As a precautionary step, the institute had already suspended all the classes and exams till March 29. Also, the annual technical and entrepreneurial festival of the institute, Techkriti, which was to begin from March 19, has been cancelled.
A mail, containing a set of instructions for each resident of the IIT campus, has been sent out by the institute’s deputy director Prof Manindra Agarwal. TOI is in possession of a copy of the mail sent out to the entire IIT-Kanpur community (residents of IIT-K campus).
The students, who went outside the campus during vacations, have been instructed to stay at their homes. “The institute will turn away the students if they come back as it will not be able for it to manage so many students”, says the mail.
Employees, campus residents and regular visitors, who had visited any foreign country during past four weeks, have been instructed to report to the health centre on the campus and fill a self-declaration form and if they had visited foreign country in past two weeks then they have been asked to enter into quarantine until two more weeks. They are also required to inform district epidemiologist, Dr Dev Singh on his no. +91 9473701284 as well as to the institute’s health centre in case flu-like symptoms develop within four weeks of their visit to a foreign country.
The employees of the institute, campus residents, regular visitors to the campus, who have participated in any conference or seminar or any large gathering in the country in past three days, have also been asked to report to the health centre for screening.
The concerning persons, if develop flu-like symptoms, have been directed to report to the health centre and enter into isolation for three days and report back to the health centre again for examination. The mail says that the faculty members, staff, family members and regular visitors should avoid interacting with anyone.
A cell has been set up for students in the visitors’ hostel no. 2 which became operational from Sunday morning. Food and other items will be provided to them in their rooms, the mail further said.