Sambalpur district administration withdraws containment order for VSSUT

Burla: A day after 25 students of Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT), Burla were found to be negative for Covid, the Sambalpur District Administration withdrew the micro containment zone order for different hostels of the varsity.

Sambalpur District Collector and Magistrate Shubham Saxena, who is also the Empowered Officer to tackle Covid pandemic, ordered to rescind micro containment zone order for Pulaha, Pulastya, Atri, Kratu, Vasistha, Marich, Anuradha, Arundhati, Rohini, Visakha and Vasundhara hostels of VSSUT under the Sambalpur Municipal Corporation area from today.

The Collector further stated the decision has been taken following survey and testing in the areas. The active surveillance in the areas will continue for next seven days as measure of containment of Covid, the order added.

Worth mentioning, the district administration ordered the different hostels of VSSUT as the micro containment zone on February 27, 2021, after 25 students of the varsity were found to be Covid positive during Rapid Antigen Test. But later it was found out that the Rapid Antigen Detection kits for Covid-19 provided by two New Delhi-based private companies to VIMSAR, Burla that conducted the tests of VSSUT students were faulty.

Even Additional Chief Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Department PK Mohapatra accepted that the antigen kits were faulty and stated show-cause notices were issued to the two private firms. No students of VSSUT have tested positive for Covid during the RT-PCR test, Mohapatra clarified.

VSSUT Vice Chancellor Bibhuti Bhusan Pati said inmates of the varsity hotels have been advised to be in seven-day isolation.