With a major outbreak of coronavirus reported inside the premier institution - IIT Madras, the campus is placed under containment. Reports said that around 71 Covid cases were reported in the last two weeks, of which 66 are students, four non-teaching staff and one from resident quarters inside the campus. Yet this Sunday saw its single-day highest peak with 32 new cases reported and the number is likely to go up in the next couple of days, as the TN government has instructed the institute to test all the students inside the campus.

With this development, the IIT Madras has issued an official order on Sunday to shut down all the departments, centres and the library immediately until further notice. It further instructed all its faculty, staff and research scholars to work from home till then. Further, the students, scholars and staff who are staying inside the campus were advised to confine themselves to their hostel rooms and maintain social distance at all times.

The health experts have recommended the institute to monitor 'Mask, handwashing, social distancing and other standard procedures', while the civic authorities are said to work closely with IIT-M authorities to conduct tests on everyone and in disinfecting the hotspots inside the campus.

Reports also said all students in the hostel have been asked to remain in their rooms and packed food is being supplied to the students in the hostels, to ensure safety.