Covid strikes at the heart of top institutes; IIM-A has 40 active cases

The new wave of coronavirus in

Gujarat has hit two of the country's premier educational institutions with IIM Ahmedabad and IIT Gandhinagar reporting active cases in double digits.

The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad currently has 40 active cases of coronavirus, while IIT-G has 25 active cases, official sources said.

"The IIM-A campus was almost COVID-free with only isolated cases till March 12. Subsequently there was a rise in infections, mostly among students. Many of these cases are asymptomatic," the institute said in a statement on Saturday.

The first five cases were reported on March 12-13, it added.

As many as 23 persons -- 22 students and a professor -- were found positive in tests conducted at the institute and they were isolated, said Mehul Acharya, deputy health officer, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. Seventeen others tested positive later, he said.

"All infected persons have been shifted to a quarantine hostel although they are asymptomatic. Staff, faculty and family members have been asked to quarantine themselves at home," the IIM-A statement said.

As soon as a positive report comes, the infected student is asked to move into the quarantine hostel within an hour and treatment is started, it said.

Students who had or have tested positive are not allowed to sit for exams.

The IIM-A has been conducting RT-PCR tests for all students and community members free, and in view of new cases the frequency of testing has been increased, it added.

The Gandhinagar campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) has also seen a rise in infections.

"Over the last few days, 25 students have tested positive. They have been isolated and are being looked after by our medical teams. No faculty or staff member has tested positive so far," the spokesperson of the institute said.

Gujarat recorded 2,190 coronavirus cases on Friday, the highest one-day rise since the start of the pandemic. The state currently has 10,134 active cases.