13 Stephen’s Students Test COVID Positive; Norms Tightened

The faculty have been asked to defer their visit to the college till there is an improvement in the situation.

After 40 students took a trip to Dalhousie, 13 hostellers of St Stephen’s College and two officials, including the Dean of Residence tested COVID positive on Friday, 2 April.

Asking students and faculty not to panic, Principal John Varghese released a notice and confirmed that 13 students had tested COVID positive. The notice said, “The following measures will come into effect immediately and till further notice to ensure safety for all concerned.”

Necessary and stringent measures to ensure residents follow COVID protocols of isolation and social distancing, have been put in place by the Dean’s Office.

The inner perimeter of the college is “out of bounds for all”. A specific clearance may be given by the Principal on a case-to-case basis. Only those who have regular work can access the outer perimeter of the college.

The faculty who were scheduled to come, have been asked to defer their visit to the college till there is an improvement in the situation.

Sources said Dean of Residence, Chaplain Monodeep Daniel and Mess Steward, Security Officer Samuel Shekhar had taken 40 students, 25 of whom are from the hostel, to Dalhousie and returned on 31 March. “This Chapel trip is when the Chaplain and others take a trip outside Delhi. It happens every year. But despite cases going up, they decided to take such a large group,” a source told the Indian Express.

Governing body member, Nandita Narain asked the Principal, “Over two hundred students have been allowed to return to the hostel in the last few months, most of them are first-year and second-year students, even though classes for them are supposed to be completely online. Was the permission of the University of Delhi and the state government taken for this opening of hostels for students?”

Principal Varghese replied to Narain’s question and cleared out that the trip was authorised by him once consent from the students and their parents were taken.

(With inputs from The Indian Express)