Chennai: After IIT, Anna University students test positive for COVID-19

Even as the IIT Madras campus registered 191 cases of Covid-19 in the last couple of days, six hostel students at Anna University’s College of Engineering, Guindy, have tested positive for the novel virus.

After visiting the campuses of IIT and Anna University on Wednesday, Tamil Nadu health secretary J. Radhakrishnan announced that Covid-19 tests would be conducted for students residing in campuses of colleges and universities across the state. The health secretary reportedly said, “We tested 550 people for coronavirus in Anna University of which six students tested positive for the infection. This is just 1% positivity rate and there is no need to panic. Across the state, we are providing take away food in colleges with hostels and in colleges which have one common mess and common dining area, to avoid the spread.”

Urging people to wear masks, J. Radhakrishnan reportedly added, “There are construction sites nearby so we have requested the officials to test the workers. The main issue for the spread is because masks are not strictly used. Especially in mess, the students are removing the masks for eating and they have food as a group. This should be avoided.”