The Indian Institute of Technology - Madras (IIT-M) has reported 18 more Covid cases on Friday - April 22 as the campus of the prestigious institution has become a Covid hotspot, a distressing development when the state has been reinforcing the Covid protocols including the mask mandate. With the current cases, the total tally of Covid cases in IIT stands at 30. 

Several people attached to the institution including students have tested positive in the past few days and on Thursday, IIT had reported 12 cases following which it was declared a Covid-19 zone. According to reports, the students who have mild infections have not been hospitalized, instead, they have been isolated at a hostel on the campus. The students had undergone medical checkups at the Guindy government hospital.

It has been reported that the institution was ready to move the students to the hospital. However, doctors have informed them that the students don't require hospitalization. On Thursday, Tamil Nadu Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan had visited the campus and asserted that the 12 people who were tested positive on Thursday were fully vaccinated. He further said they are doing fine and don't require hospitalization. 

On Thursday, Radhakrishnan said, "We have collected 365 samples as of today at IIT Madras and a necessity may arise to test 1,500-2,000 people here in the locality if positive cases increase." On the other hand, the state government has announced that a penalty would be imposed for those who are found not wearing masks in public places. On Friday - April 22, Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said that Rs 500 will be fined to the people who were found not wearing a mask in public places.

He further said that the district administrations are being directed to enforce the penalty on the people and to take adequate measures to curb the Covid spread. Tamil Nadu is also been gearing up to conduct mega vaccination camps to administer the Covid vaccines to the people. On Friday, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian said that the mega vaccination camps will be held at over one lakh places across the state on May 8 from 7 am to 7 pm.

The health department has been pacing up the measures to enhance the medical infrastructure by stocking up the necessary medical equipment to treat the Covid patients. As India has been witnessing a surge in Covid cases, several states are reinforcing the mask mandate and the Covid protocols in their respective territories. According to the Union Health Ministry, India has reported 2,451 new Covid cases in the last 24 hours till 8 am on Friday. 

According to the Tamil Nadu Health Department, the state has reported 39 fresh cases, 26 discharges, and zero deaths on Thursday. Overall, Tamil Nadu has recorded 34,53,390 cases so far as of Thursday of which 256 are active, 34,15,109 were recovered, and 38,025 had died due to viral infection.