Two COVID-19 clusters have been detected on two Indian Institutes of Technology campuses in Hyderabad and Chennai, with 54 people testing positive at IIT-Madras and over 100 cases emerging on the IIT-Hyderabad campus. According to a report in the Times of India, 17 students are among the 58 cases reported on the IIT-Madras campus from January 5 to January 9, 2022. Those who have tested positive have been quarantined as per the rules, and their family members have been asked to remain under home quarantine.
The report adds that students who returned to campus after Christmas break were informed that they will be allowed inside classrooms and labs after they either quarantine for a week or produce a COVID-19 negative report.
According to TOI, most of those who are positive on campus have reported mild symptoms. In December 2020, a similar COVID-19 cluster was reported in IIT-Madras, where over 180 cases were detected on campus. At the time, the institute had shut down libraries, labs and other common facilities in view of the cluster.
Meanwhile, in Hyderabad, 119 people on the IIT-Hyderabad campus have tested positive, TOI reported on Wednesday, January 12. While 74 cases were detected over the past week (January 6 to 11), 45 new infections were detected on Tuesday alone. The 45 new cases include students, research scholars, a staff member and an outsourced plumber, TOI reported.
The institute has said that quarantine measures are being followed, and that the top floors of the hostels have been converted into quarantine rooms.
COVID-19 clusters have also been reported in other IIT campuses in India over the past week. Around 90 cases have been reported from the IIT Kanpur campus, and around 60 people have tested positive on the IIT-Ahmedabad campus.
Meanwhile, India reported 1.94 lakh new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, January 12, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3.60 crore. This includes 4,868 cases of the Omicron variant, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The active cases have increased to 9.55 lakh, the highest in 211 days, while the death toll has climbed to 4.84 lakh with 442 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.
Of the total 4,868 cases of the Omicron variant, 1,805 people have recovered or migrated so far. Maharashtra recorded the maximum number of 1,281 cases followed by Rajasthan at 645, Delhi at 546, Karnataka at 479 and Kerala at 350.