Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has temporarily shut down its academic block, including departments, labs and library, and quarantined hostelites and staff, after 60 people tested positive for Covid-19.
The academic block had resumed operations on 7 December for research scholars and according to the institute, a total of 66 people, including students, have tested positive for the virus. There are over 700 research scholars on the campus currently with most of them residing in various hostels. The institute is now getting all the students tested.
IIT Madras had allowed research scholars to come back to campus in a phased manner after the state government permitted the reopening of higher education institutions on 1 December. However, after many of them tested positive, the labs and the academic block have been placed under lockdown once again, and classes are being conducted online.
