The campus of Mahindra University on the outskirts of Hyderabad will be shut for 15 days as 25 students and five staff members tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Around 1,700 students and staff members were tested and out of them, 30 people tested positive. The university, located in the Medchal−Malkajgiri district of Telangana, has sent its students home and announced that online classes will be conducted from Monday, November 29. The campus is part of Mahindra Educational Institutions (MEI), a subsidiary of Tech Mahindra.
University sources told IANS that 25 students, one faculty member, and four support staff had tested positive for coronavirus. Meanwhile, Medchal-Malkajgiri District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO). Mallikarjuna Rao visited the university on Saturday, November 27. “Tests were conducted on 1700 students and staff members. Out of which 25 students and five staff members have tested positive. The institution will remain closed for at least 15 days,” the DMHO told TNM. He said those who tested positive were in home isolation. The official said the university has declared a holiday for 15 days and will switch to online classes.
The Mahindra Group last year launched the multi-disciplinary university, which is spread over 130 acres. It is the first university in Telangana to be locked down due to COVID-19 since the second wave of the pandemic.
Last week, around 29 students of a government-run residential school and junior college for girls in Khammam district tested positive for the coronavirus. The cases were reported at the Gurukul School and junior college in Wyra town. The school authorities had conducted coronavirus tests for all students after a few students showed suspected symptoms. Health officials had said that the students who tested positive did not show any serious symptoms.
In Karnataka’s Dharwad, 281 students of a medical college had tested positive for coronavirus as of Saturday morning. Officials said a students' event might have resulted in the spread of infection.
With IANS inputs