The EAMCET committee is considering setting up an isolation test centre in the city for candidates who may be suffering from fever or COVID symptoms and still want to appear for the examination from July 6.
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The centre to be located in the twin cities will give an option to students to choose that rather than their allocated test centre. “We will give a choice to students to register and those with fever, cough or cold, will be accommodated in the isolation centre where all COVID-19 norms are strictly followed,” TSCHE chairman T. Papi Reddy said.
He assured parents that all test centres would be sanitised after every slot as per ICMR guidelines. Every student will be screened for fever and other symptoms. Inside the test centre too, there will be a lot of distance between each student and moreover each cubicle encircles the candidate from three sides plugging all chances of exposure to other students.
The EAMCET authorities said if the severity of symptoms is high, such candidates will also be placed in separate rooms within the test centre, thus leaving less scope for mixing with other candidates.
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The lone isolation centre will be for students with some symptoms and they will be given an opportunity to choose. Officials say all the candidates will anyway have to take precautions like wearing a mask and carrying sanitisers. “As there is no public transport, we expect candidates to be accompanied by someone using personal transport or hired vehicles. They will come straight to the centre and leave after test. There will be little scope to be exposed to other places,” an official revealed.
On rumours that the test may be postponed, a senior official said there was no such possibility. “We want to save the academic year completing the entrance process and opening the admissions. If anyone approaches the courts we have our own argument ready and it is in the interest of students,” a senior official argued. He added that admissions into professional courses have to be made through an entrance. Even the Supreme Court and various High Courts are talking about ensuring safety measures than postponing the same, he said.
Recently, the Central government filed an affidavit with the Kerala High Court that it was ready to operate flights to Gulf for Kerala candidates who plan to appear for JEE or NEET. It only shows the keenness of the government to conduct the entrance exams in the interest of students, he said.