Campuses impose curbs on movement

The institute had last week strictly isolated resident students .... They are not allowed work in the same room on the same day, with people who are not staying in hostels

S SUDARSHAN, deputy director of academic and infrastructural affairs, and head of IIT-B’s on-campus Covid task force

MUMBAI: With the number of Covid-19 cases going up to around 25, the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, has clamped down movement on its campus to contain the spread of the virus.

While around 3,000 students and 2,000 staff members are currently on campus, the institute has sealed two wings of a hostel and moved out non-quarantined students to different hostels. A third wing may be sealed if one more case is found.

In an official email to students, the institute administration has informed students that the night canteen has been shut down and mess facility has been moved out to a different location. For students to move out of a floor after a single positive case is found, they will have to take an RT-PCR test.

Director Subhasis Chaudhuri said there has been a considerable spike in the number of cases on campus. “There is a definite increase in cases compared to what we used to have two-three months ago. Between April 6 and 7 alone, we had nine cases out of which two live outside the campus. But we possibly had about seven cases on Thursday (not fully reported yet). So, there is a substantial increase,” he said. S Sudarshan, deputy director of academic and infrastructural affairs, and head of IIT-B’s on-campus Covid task force, said, “The institute had last week strictly isolated hostel resident students from all others in the research labs. They are not allowed work in the same room on the same day, or half day, with people who are not staying in hostels.”

At the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), too, a few positive cases have emerged, said Sreerup Raychaudhuri, the institute’s dean, administration.

“There are a few cases in the staff colony in Anushakti nagar in Mankhurd as well as the colony in Colaba. We have a medical unit on campus. If anybody is suspected of having the virus, the medical unit transfers the person to the BARC hospital. We are also using our guest houses as quarantine facilities. All theoretical classes are taking place online. Lab work is undertaken on a rotational basis to minimise the chances of spread of the virus,” said Raychaudhuri.