24 students test positive at BITS Pilani campus in Goa

The BITS Pilani in South Goa has moved its classes online after 24 students on campus tested positive for Covid over the last few days, the institute's public relations officer Arjun Halarnkar said on Friday.

The official also said that eight more samples have been sent for testing on Friday.

"Our campus response team had decided this after 24 positive cases. Eight more samples were sent for testing. Reports are awaited. We had already decided to continue our classes online and cancel events and gatherings which were scheduled to be held here," Halarnkar said.

Located in South Goa district, there are around 2,800 students in the BITS Pilani campus, Halarnkar said, adding that all students, faculty and staff at the university are being scanned thermally before they enter campus.

"It started two to three days ago, that is when we started to test the students according to our protocol and yesterday the number reached 24. Strike rate is not high compared to students on campus," Halarnkar said.

"Health authorities are already in the campus and primacy contacts and secondary contacts are being tested," he added.

The South Goa district administration has already issued guidelines to be implemented at the educational campus which includes mandatory screening of the inmates, setting up of quarantine facilities, mandatory cancellation of offline classes and other events.