Shri Mata Vaishnodevi University closed after 49 students tests COVID positive since Friday
BUNTY MAHAJAN
JAMMU, JANUARY 3: Shri Mata Vaishnodevi University at Kakriyal near Katra stands closed after 49 of its students were tested positive for COVID-19 since Friday last.
Sources said that the university authorities decided to have Rapid Antigen Test and RtPCR test of all its students, besides staff and their families on the campus after the father of one of its student informed them that his son has been tested positive for COVID.The boy had gone home in Jammu.
On December 31, health officials collected samples of 170 students on the campus and two of them were tested positive for COVID-19. As 11 more students were tested positive of the 38 samples collected on the campus, the Reasi Deputy Commissioner Charandeep Singh ordered closure of the campus.
There are 1,500 students living in hostels on the campus, besides 200 families of teaching and non-teaching staff who also live in staff quarters there.
Sources said that of the 801 tests conducted till Monday, a total of 49 students have been tested positive for COVID-19 so far.
“We have decided to collect samples of the entire staff and their families living on the campus as well,’’ a senior University official said, adding that the SMVD University vice chancellor, Reasi Deputy Commissioner and other senior staff members had a meeting on Monday and decided to send home students who are tested negative for COVID-19.
About those tested positive, he said that all of them either had no or mild symptoms. Barring two hailing from outside the state, their parents of others were informed and asked to pick-up their wards for home isolation as per prescribed COVID protocol, he said, adding that those who could not come, their wards were sent home in our own ambulance. Those hailing from outside the UT have been kept under isolation at university’s medical centre, the official added.
The sampling of remaining students, staff members and their families will continue on Tuesday as well, he added.
Meanwhile, the Union Territory on Monday reported 178 new cases of COVID-19. Of them, 70 were from Jammu division and 108 in Kashmir Valley. With this, the total number of samples tested positive in the UT rose to 3,41,802. However, only 1,498 were active positive at present as the other had recovered.
