10 test +ve on Alagappa Tech campus

10 test +ve on Alagappa Tech campus

Corpn To Meet Edu Institutes Today On Covid

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:10.12.2021

A cluster of about 10 cases so far has been detected on Anna University’s Alagappa College of Technology campus. A day after one student from tested positive for Covid-19, Greater Chennai Corporation officials organised a camp to test all other students on campus.

“So far, tests have been conducted for 300 students. Of this, nine students tested positive for the viral infection,” health minister Ma Subramanian said on Thursday.

Officials said they would test all 763 students on campus, teachers and other staff. “We do saturation testing on campus. Samples of positive patients are sent to the whole genome sequencing lab,” Subramaniam said after visiting the campus with senior health and civic officials.

The 10 students who tested positive are asymptomatic and are in quarantine at the government Covid centre on King’s Institute campus.

The varsity has suspended physical classes for students of Alagappa College of Technology. Hostel students have been quarantined in their hostel rooms. “Online classes will continue for the next two weeks. Physical classes will resume only after confirmation that there are no new cases among hostel students,” a university official said. Other campuses like College of Engineering, Guindy, continued regular in-person classes on Thursday.

The corporation along with the health and revenue departments has called for a meeting on Friday with educational institutions to discuss following Covid protocols.

Health secretary J Radhakrishnan said there won’t be any knee jerk reaction following the Covid cluster.

The university was told to allow students in batches to hostel messes to maintain social distancing. In most clusters detected in educational institutions, health workers found high transmission among students who met at canteens for lunch or tea. “Students don’t wear a mask in the canteen, sit close to each other and chat. This increases transmission rate,” the health minister said. The department will conduct a high-level meeting with school and higher education departments on guidelines to be followed in hostel messes, he added.

GUARD UP: Health officials test students at Anna University hostel. Officials said all students, teachers and staff on campus will be tested