At least 20 members of staff and students at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) have tested positive for Covid-19 in the past two weeks, leading to restrictions on out-of-campus travel. While lectures are only being conducted online, 2,000 staff members (including faculty, institute staff and project staff) as well as 3,000 students have returned to IIT-B campus.
In a WhatsApp message shared informally among staff and students, the institute has requested everyone to avoid visiting barber shops outside campus. The institute’s contract tracing team had narrowed down upon a salon outside campus as a potential spreader.
“When there were signs of the second wave, three weeks ago, we added new measures that includes restricting out of campus travel,” confirmed Professor S Sudarshan, deputy director of academic and infrastructural affairs, and head of IIT-B’s on-campus Covid task force.
IIT-B’s Covid protocol includes 10-day quarantine for returning students, social distancing and reduced capacity in the hostel messes, reduced capacity in outdoor eateries, as well as reverse and forward contact tracing.