IIT Madras Covid-19 cluster: 30 students test positive, Rs 500 penalty for not wearing masks, says health secy

Ma Subramanian, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, said the majority of those who tested positive for Covid-19 have come from other states.

By: Express Web Desk

Chennai | Updated: April 23, 2022 10:46 AM IST

3 min read

Addressing the media on Friday, Radhakrishnan also said that people who fail to wear masks in public places will be penalised Rs 500 and the district collectors have been asked to monitor them.

Eighteen more students of IIT Madras tested positive for Covid-19 Friday morning taking the tally to 30 till now. Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan, who termed the spread as a small cluster, visited the campus on Friday alongside other health department officials to oversee the RT-PCR tests being carried out for those residing on the campus.

Addressing the media on Friday, Radhakrishnan also said that people who fail to wear masks in public places will be penalised Rs 500 and the district collectors have been asked to monitor them.

Also Read | Tamil Nadu sees 39 new Covid-19 cases, Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan asks people not lower guard

“We have instructed them (IIT) to isolate those who have given their samples until we get their results. Thermal and temperature checks are being done not just at the entrance but also inside the campus. When required, we are taking measures to shift the infected to the King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research,” he said. Meanwhile, the officials said the infected who were isolated at the Taramani campus are now stable.

“A total of 665 samples were tested and of them, 18 returned positive. So, till now, 30 have tested positive for Covid-19 at IIT Madras. In the last two weeks, many people from other states had reached the campus. Each hostel at the campus has isolation facilities. In Mandakini hostel, where maximum cases have been detected, the top two floors have been isolated,” Radhakrishnan said.

Reiterating his comments about following safety guidelines, the Health Secretary cited the surge in cases in other countries and noted that people should take the spread as a lesson and should no longer postpone getting vaccinated.

Ma Subramanian, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, said the majority of those who tested positive for the virus have come from other states. He added that taking into account that still two crore people are due for their vaccinations in Tamil Nadu, for the first time in the country, a special mega vaccination camp will be arranged at one lakh places across the state on May 8 from 7 am till 7 pm.

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