PremiumThe total number of students infected with Covid-19 at the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Roorkee has reached 90, the colleges said on Thursday.
According to IIT Roorkee media cell in-charge Sonika Srivastava, the Haridwar District Health Department has sealed five hostels int the college -- Coral, Kasturba, Sarojini, Govind Bhawan and Vigyan Kunj and declared them as containment zones.
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"The institute has about three thousand students, of which around 1,200 students live in these five hostels. At present, all students are being treated in hostels," said Srivastava.
"The students who were preparing to come to the IITs, have been stopped till the next orders. All the students present on the premises have been instructed to take precautions," he added.
The infection count stood at 60 on Wednesday.
Covid in other institutions
The second wave of coronavirus is fast spreading to leading educational institutions in Uttarakhand with the Doon School reporting 12 cases on Tuesday.
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Premium Premium The Covid-infected boys and teachers of the Doon School have been kept at a wellness centre built on the school premises.
The school administration is on high alert and everyone is being made to comply with the Covid protocol, its development and alumni relation officer Kritika Jugran said.
The Central Academy for State Forest Service (CASFS), where 14 trainee officials were diagnosed with the infection on Wednesday, has been closed as a precautionary measure for the time being and all employees have been advised to quarantine themselves, Principal Kunal Satyarthi said.
Samples of 100 people who may have come into contact with the 14 infected trainee officials have also been sent for testing, he said.
Order to ramp up testing
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat on Thursday issued instructions to step up coronavirus testing and vaccination besides focusing more on tracing and micro containment zones to stop the spread of the infection.
Rawat, who held a meeting with officials immediately after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's virtual meeting with CMs, underlined the need to step up RT-PCR testing and work more seriously on tracing and micro containment zones.
The vaccination drive should also be stepped up besides organising awareness campaign to promote Covid-appropriate behaviour, he said.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand has reported 787 new Covid-19 positive cases on Thursday, taking the cumulative count to 1,05,498.
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