COVID testing intensified at Utkal University ahead of Vice President’s Odisha visit

Bhubaneswar: In the wake of detection of COVID positive cases from many educational institutions in a week in Odisha, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) intensified COVID restrictions at the Utkal University ahead of Vice President’s visit to the campus.

As part of precautionary measures, the civic body authorities today started COVID testing at the varsity.

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu is scheduled to attend 50th convocation of Utkal University on April 3 in Bhubaneswar. Enforcing the COVID guidelines on the premises, the BMC has decided to test RT-PCR and Antigen of all staff involved in the ceremony.

As per the decision, all officials of the varsity, honorable guests and academicians on-dias as well as students who will receive certificates from the Vice President will undergo RT-PCR test. The antigen test will be conducted on the professors of different departments, employees and volunteers in-charge of managing the event.

Besides, the officials on Vice President duty for his visit to Odisha will also undergo the COVID test.

As many had been found positive for COVID after convocations at the XIMB and Rourkela-NIT, the BMC has decided to test all staff engaged at annual event of the Utkal University on a priority basis to avoid any possible risk, source said.

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu will visit Odisha on April 2. During his two-day trip, he is scheduled to attend a programme at Sarala Bhawan in Cuttack and convocation at Utkal University in Bhubaneswar.

As per the schedule, Naidu will arrive at 11.15 AM at the Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar, on April 2. He will have lunch at Raj Bhawan. At 4.45 PM, he will head for Cuttack to attend 40th annual ceremony of Sarala Sahitya Sansad and 600th birth ceremony of Adi Kabi Sarala Das. The progarmme is scheduled at 5.30 PM till 6.30 PM. He will stay at night at Raj Bhawan. Next morning on April 3, Naidu will visit Utkal University in Bhubaneswar. He is scheduled to arrive at the campus at 10.20 AM. He will be present at the varsity for one hour from 10.30 AM to 11.30 AM. After lunch at Raj Bhawan, he will make his way back to New Delhi at 5.00 PM.