CHENNAI, Dec 14: The Indian Institute of Technology here (IIT Madras) has been closed after 66 students and five staff tested positive for coronavirus (covid). The students are hostel residents.

The institute said in a statement that the hostels had only 10 per cent of residents and testing was done for all of them when some students showed covid symptoms. There were 774 students in the hostels. The students said overcrowding at the mess led to the infection. In hostels masks are not worn. Of the staff infected, four are mess workers.

The faculty and students have been asked to work from home. However, IIT director Bhaskar Ramamurthi said the students in the hostels have been told to remain confined to their rooms and arrangements have been made to provide them packed food.

Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said the students have been quarantined and are reported to be in stable condition. Such clusters were expected following the lifting of restriction in the State, he added.

Meanwhile, the coronavirus situation is easing fast in the State. On Sunday the State reported 1,195 cases, with Chennai accounting for 340.