VASCO
With six more cases and one recovery on Friday, the number of persons testing Covid positive has risen to 29 at the BITS Pilani campus in Zuarinagar.
When contacted, BITS Pilani PRO Arjun Halarnkar said the cases were detected around three days ago.
"We then started to test the students as per our protocol and by Thursday, the number went to 24. The strike rate is not high as compared to around 2,800 students present here. We sent 8 more samples for testing on Friday and we have got another 6 cases detected,” said Halarnkar.
“We have almost finished testing students with symptoms and the other students are not primary or secondary contacts.”
“Of the 2,800 students, only 9 students have a single vaccination while the other students are fully vaccinated.”
Halarnkar said all students who tested positive have very mild symptoms and the BITS Goa campus has its own medical centre team reviewing the situation of all students.
"I don't think these cases are related to travel history because almost all our students had arrived to answer our offline exams that began in March, after which we had also begun taking offline classes as well.”
“We have, however, now begun online classes. We have cancelled all official and unofficial get-togethers, and events, and also stopped students' gathering for offline classes. All students who tested positive are in their individual rooms and a medical team is reviewing their situation. We have also arranged for food supply to the rooms of these students," said Halarnkar.
He informed that health authorities are already in campus and testing of primary and secondary contacts is underway on campus.
“The situation is under control. As of now, we are following the guidelines and people are being thermally checked at the entry gates. We have gone even beyond the protocols and students who don't report symptoms but are expected to have come in contact with the other students are also being checked. All this was being done even before we received an order from the government," said Halarnkar.
