IIT Delhi campus. (file) IIT Delhi campus. (file)

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has asked eight staff members and two guests to self-quarantine after it was found that a guest who tested positive for coronavirus, with a history of travel to Italy, had stayed in one of the institute’s guesthouses.

An email in this regard was sent by the Dean (Infra) K C Iyer and Associate Dean (Infra) J T Shahu to all faculty members Tuesday.

“It has come to our notice today that one guest from Milan, declared asymptomatic of Covid-19 at the airport screening on March 6 but advised home isolation for 14 days, had stayed in Gulmohar (Faculty Guest House) from March 7 afternoon to March 8 morning in Room no. 209. As per the newspaper report, he tested positive on March 16 at Bhubaneswar and is moved to isolation ward there,” they said.

“From check-in time to check-out time of this guest, eight staff members had come in direct/indirect contact with this guest. Later, two more guests stayed in this room from March 9 to March 13, but they checked in only after 24 hours of the check-out of the previous guest. The room is vacant since then,” they added, clarifying that “till now, no staff or guest of the Gulmohar has reported with any symptoms of Covid-19”.

“We have requested the host faculty to instruct the two guests who stayed from March 9 to March 13 to undergo self-quarantine. Also, as advised by CMO (Chief Medical Officer), 10 recently appointed faculty members who are staying in Gulmohar are being asked to self-quarantine,” the Dean said.

They said that IIT had “tried our best” to get the right staff members “tested in the hospital today but none of the helpline numbers were working” and that they were “hopeful that we will be able to get these staff tested tomorrow”.

“In the meantime, as a precautionary measure and as advised by the CMO IIT Delhi, these eight staff members have been directed to self-quarantine at home starting from today for 14 days and they have been granted special leave during the quarantine period. Most of these staff are contractual and their employers have also been informed about our decision,” they said.

The institute said there were also “indications” that the SDM (South Delhi) “might take over Gulmohar in a day or two for quarantine of general public”.

“Due to this, around 10-12 new faculty staying in Gulmohar have been asked to shift to Amaltas (guest house). Hence, we have stopped taking new bookings for both Amaltas and Gulmohar till further instructions. We have also cancelled all bookings,” they said in the email.

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