On the COVID-free status of IIT Bhubaneswar

28-03-2021: On the distorted reporting in some media, about COVID cases in the campus, IIT Bhubaneswar issues the following press note.

IIT Bhubaneswar nurtures preservation of academic life despite the pandemic prevailing around by maintaining safe measures to the entire Fraternity. The Institute has invited students also to the campus to have hands-on experimentation with the practical classes, while the regular teaching is going through the online process. The students are being brought to the Campus in phase-wise process and so far we have about 50% of senior undergraduate and postgraduate students on campus with 100% of Research students.

So far the campus has been COVID free except for 5 cases in Sept 2020 and now some in the isolated quarantine center.

The institute anticipated that a few of the incoming students from across the country would carry COVID cases and made a prior RT_PCR test and 15 days quarantining mandatory. After the only the students are allowed to mix with the mainstream students. During the quarantining period, the student health is monitored and food is delivered in isolated room of a student. While in the first three batches there was not even a single COVID case reported, While in the first three batches there was not even one case, in the 4th batch that arrived in to quarantine center of the institute during 20-22 of this month, three students’ test reports with Covid positive status were received late after arrival. All in the entire floor of the quarantine center were tested and 7 more students (mainly because of traveling/contacting the first three) were found positive.All 10 students are now in the isolation Centre of the Institute and are being taken care of. In view of the Positive cases upon entry, the Institute postponed the arrival of next batch of students scheduled for 4th April 21.The institute is not anticipating anymore cases in the quarantine center and certainly not in the mainstream, because of the strict observation of the COVID safety protocols and SOP.

Other than the isolation and quarantine center, the institute is free of COVID and everything has been functioning normally including the construction activity. Also Prof Rajakumar, Director who is 60+ years of age had inspected the construction sites today afternoon.