As many as 67 students — 48 boys and 19 girls — on the MIT campus of Anna University have tested positive for COVID-19 infection. While 16 students have been sent for home quarantine, the rest have been isolated in two separate hostels — Marutham (for boys) and Ponni (for girls). All students are asymptomatic, a university official said.
All the other hostel residents who had tested negative for the infection, were asked to vacate the premises on Wednesday. MIT Dean T. Thyagarajan said the institution began testing students as a precautionary measure. According to him, till date, nearly 1,700 hostel students had been tested.
“We started testing the students on December 29 and on the next day, the results showed seven of them — one boy and six girls — had tested positive. On January 2, 255 students were tested and seven girls were found to be infected. On January 3, 797 samples were taken, the results of which came on Wednesday. A total of 53 students — 47 boys and six girls, were infected by the virus. On Tuesday, 196 students were tested while another 300 students have given their samples on Wednesday,” he said.
Nursing staff have been posted in the hostels to monitor the health of the students. Personnel from the Directorate of Public Health and the Urban Primary Health Centre in Chromepet, Pallavaram municipality, under which the campus falls, and the Chengalpattu Government Medical College Hospital officials, besides the Tambaram Corporation Commissioner and the Police Commissioner visited the institution. So far, 10 first year unvaccinated students from the College of Engineering, Guindy, and 60 students from Alagappa College of Technology, have tested positive.
Ten persons, including eight pre-final year students, of Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, have tested positive for the infection. Hospital authorities said the students were isolated and there was no large outbreak on the campus.
Ten test positive in MCC
At least 10 students, including five in the hostel, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Madras Christian College. The students have been isolated, said Principal P. Wilson. “The Chengalpattu Collector wanted us to send the students home but we have to wait for their parents to come,” he said.
