Many colleges in the district, including medical, engineering, agriculture and arts and science, were reopened, complying with Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) on Monday.
Students were screened for fever and were given hand sanitisers before entering the campus, wearing masks. Classrooms, verandah, and office rooms were disinfected and students were instructed not to remove their masks or gather at one place on the premises. At classrooms, two students were allowed to sit in each table and were instructed to ensure personal distancing while in classrooms and at laboratories. Students with fever were asked to report immediately to their class teacher or their head of department for medical examination. They were also asked not to exchange their mobile phones. Since attendance is optional, attendance in most of the engineering and arts and science colleges was less than 70%,
Teachers said many students preferred to stay at home. A few groups of institutions opened their pharmacy and other medical courses while they had decided to open their engineering and arts and science colleges on December 10. “Operating buses on each route following personal distancing norms will be a great challenge,” said a coordinator of a private engineering college.
In Salem, the government colleges and other major colleges were reopened.
The temperature of the students was checked and they were provided with hand sanitisers.
Vice-Chancellor of Periyar University P. Kolandaivel said the university’s constituent and affiliated colleges had been advised on the safety guidelines issued by the State government and hostels had been kept ready to accommodate students.
COVID-19 care centres
He said the college buildings that were used for setting up COVID-19 care centres were handed over earlier itself and those premises had been disinfected.