2 NTU students diagnosed with Covid-19 after returning from Spain, 'neither on campus since mid-Feb'
NTU president Subra Suresh said the two students diagnosed with Covid-19 had not been on the NTU campus since mid February.
SINGAPORE — Two students from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), who recently returned from Spain, have tested positive for Covid-19. However, neither has been on campus since mid-February, the university said on Wednesday (March 18).
The information was disclosed in an email circular to students from the university’s president Subra Suresh, which was seen by TODAY.
The email stated that the two students tested positive “in the past two days” and were being treated at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases and the National University Hospital. The cases are unrelated, it added.
No information was given about the gender of the students, their nationality or why they were in Spain.
“NTU staff are in touch with the students who are in good spirits. We wish them a full and speedy recovery, and the university will provide them with all necessary assistance and support,” Prof Suresh wrote.
On Friday, Singapore announced that it was denying entry to visitors who had been to Spain, Italy, France and Germany in the past two weeks effective from 11.59pm on Sunday.
Prof Suresh’s email did not specify when the two students had entered Singapore.
On Monday, Singapore Management University had informed students that a foreign exchange student from Spain had tested positive for Covid-19.
In the email, SMU said the student was overseas from March 8 to 13 and arrived in Singapore the next morning. He was last seen on campus on March 6.
In the NTU email, Professor Suresh reiterated the need for students and employees to comply with the additional social distancing measures which the university had rolled out earlier this week in response to the global pandemic.
NTU announced on Monday that all students and staff members returning from countries which are not included on the Government’s list of restricted countries would also have to comply with a mandatory 14-day leave of absence.
The measures also apply to part-time students, said the email on Wednesday. It added that those returning from Malaysia via air and sea are exempted.
NTU staff members who were overseas as of March 16 will have the 14 days deducted from their hospitalisation leave upon their return to Singapore.
Employees who leave Singapore after March 16, and who will have to serve out their stay-home notice or leave of absence, will have the 14 days deducted from their personal annual leave.
“The university will continue to closely monitor the Covid-19 situation, provide regular updates, and announce any additional measures as the situation unfolds,” wrote Prof Suresh.
“Please refrain from speculation or dissemination of unverified information that may cause unnecessary panic.”
