India vs England: 22 students in IIM-Ahmedabad test COVID-19 positive after attending first T20

England had won the first T20 against India at Ahmedabad on March 12. (Photo: PTI)

A bunch of students attending the first T20I between India and England on March 12 have reportedly resulted in COVID-19 outbreak at the prestigious Indian Institute of Management’s Ahmedabad (IIMA) campus with as many as 22 testing positive for the novel coronavirus. Fans were allowed the attend the first two games of the five-match series before Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) decided to organise the remaining games behind closed doors due to the rising COVID-19 cases in the state.  

According to a report in Ahmedabad Mirror newspaper, five students, who were among those attending the game (March 12) live at the Narendra Modi Stadium, tested positive for COVID-19 on March 16. Following that, IIMA began conducting tests on people associated with the institute. The B-School has nearly 2,500 people including those living in its campus and who come to work from outside. 

“We tested around 90 people on Thursday; results of the tests are expected on Friday,” an unnamed official was quoted as saying by Ahmedabad Mirror. “After the surge in cases, we have become further stringent in implementing the Covid protocols. The food court within the campus only has takeaways. The mess has a seating arrangement that adheres to social distancing norms. Classes are completely online and no hybrid model of classes is allowed.”  

However, PGP-2 students have alleged that the institute didn’t isolate the infected students nor did they bar them from appearing from offline exams on March 18-19 which has been cited as the major reason for the rise in cases. 

IIMA has dismissed all the allegations made by the students stating it as ‘a blatant lie’. IIMA officials are claiming to Times Now website that, “No student who tested positive for the COVID-19 were allowed to sit in the exam by the institute, despite there were few who requested the same but eventually the request by students were turned down.”  

Officials also mentioned that when students tested positive, the hostel warden was immediately informed to move all those students to the quarantine facility within the span of 1 hour.