The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras campus has been placed under lockdown after 71 people tested positive for Covid-19.

Of these 66 are students, four hostel staff and one person from the residential quarters on the campus.

The IIT administration issued a circular on Sunday for all faculty, staff, project staff and research scholars to work from home as all departments and facilities have been shut down with immediate effect.

The administration also directed all students, scholars and project staff residing on the campus to strictly keep to the indoors and maintain social distance to prevent further infection.

The circular also directed anyone with Covid-19 symptoms to immediately contact the IIT, Madras hospital management.

Samples of all the 774 students in the premier institute will be tested for Covid-19 following the breakout of the infection.

The institute recorded the maximum number of new cases on Sunday with 32 people testing positive for Covid-19.

IIT Madras administration said that the institute has been functioning with only 10 per cent of students in the hostels, who are currently being served packed food.

A report quoted Chennai health secretary, J Radhakrishnan as saying that such kind localized Covid-19 clusters are expected and the infection is supposed to have spread from the common mess where all students congregate.

The Chennai Corporation will assist the IIT authorities in fumigating the campus.