29 new COVID cases at IIT Jodhpur

Twenty-nine people, including 25 students, tested positive for COVID-19 at IIT Jodhpur, taking the total number of coronavirus cases at the campus to 225, authorities said.

The report for the new 29 cases at the institute came out on Monday after a massive campaign was put in place to test every campus resident, said Amardeep Sharma, spokesperson and deputy registrar of the institute.

“These 29 students and staff members have been reported positive after the fresh sample tests were conducted on May 7,” he added.

He said the last semester of the trimester ended on May 7 and the activities were now taking place online as the courses have been completed.

With the arrival of students on campus for practical sessions in April, the infection started to spread in the campus, Sharma said.

“Since practical sessions were essential, we started calling students, with adherence to the guidelines by the Human Resource ministry (now known as the Ministry of Education),” he said.

“Fortunately, none of these infected cases bordered a serious condition and all those who had tested positive earlier, have recovered,” he added.

Generally, students start leaving for their homes after the semester examinations but given the lockdown in different states, it would not be possible for them to leave now, Sharma said.

The IIT administration, however, has put in place adequate arrangements given the spike in cases, and isolation and super-isolation centres have been set up on campus.

“We take samples of every student or staff coming to the college and keep him or her in the isolation centre until the report is obtained. If tested positive, they are shifted to the super isolation centre for recovery,” said Sharma.