JODHPUR: As many as 52 students of IIT-Jodhpur tested positive in the past one week. All these students recently returned from their respective cities in view of the laboratory sessions after completion of their online classes.
The infected students have been isolated in one of the hostel buildings within the campus separated as a super isolation ward, with all the precautions being employed, while two other hostel buildings have been reserved for keeping the students and staff, both academic and non-academic, following the contact tracing of the positive students.
Spokesperson Amardeep Sharma said with the corona infection on the rise again, the administration of the institute had started taking utmost precaution to keep the campus free from infection, especially in the wake of returning of students to the campus.
“We ensured that every student coming from home went to a designated isolation ward directly from the main gate, where the swab samples of students with symptoms were taken and sent to AIIMS for a test. If the samples tested positive, we sent the student directly to the super isolation ward from the isolation ward for the next 14 days,” Sharma said.
Considering the seriousness of the situation, divisional commissioner Rajesh Sharma and deputy director (medical & health) Sunil Kumar Bist visited the campus on Saturday afternoon and reviewed the situation and arrangements undertaken by the IIT administration.
“We have asked for mandatory 10 days’ quarantine for every student coming from home and have also given directions for random sampling of the staff,” said Sharma.
He said that since the students form hostels have been reported positive, directions of contact tracing have also been issued to the administration of IIT.
IIT Jodhpur has 11 hostel buildings on its campus and with students coming in hordes for practical sessions, the administration has been taking every possible measure to keep the situation under control.