Eighteen more people tested positive for Covid-19 at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) on Friday, taking the total number of infections on the campus to 30.
On Thursday, Tamil Nadu health secretary J Radhakrishnan had said that 12 people at IIT-M were found to be infected with the virus and were quarantined on the campus. “As of now they don’t require hospital treatment. All their oxygen levels are correct,” he added.
Officials have ordered saturation tests at the campus. As many as 385 samples were tested on Thursday and officials were preparing to test another 2,000 samples in the next couple of days.
The health secretary also pointed out that there was a single case of Covid-19 at IIT-M on Tuesday and the following day, two more people tested positive. On an immediate basis, Greater Chennai Corporation, the Tamil Nadu health department and the institute's team got together and tested their contacts.
Tamil Nadu has so far reported 34.53 lakh cases, 38,025 deaths and 34.15 lakh recoveries due to Covid-19. On Thursday, the state saw another high of 39 infections but no fresh deaths were reported. Twenty-six people were discharged on Thursday.
In view of the surge in daily tally in the last few days, the state government has directed the health department to ramp up testing of samples from 18,000 a day to 25,000.
{{/usCountry}}In view of the surge in daily tally in the last few days, the state government has directed the health department to ramp up testing of samples from 18,000 a day to 25,000.
{{/usCountry}}The health secretary has urged people to not lower their guard and said daily cases in Delhi spiked and a similar situation might emerge in Tamil Nadu if laxity is shown in following Covid-19 appropriate behaviour, news agency PTI reported.
(With inputs from Divya Chandrababu, PTI)