COVID-19: Over 200 students, 4 staffers of Washim residential school test positive

Mumbai: The number of corona cases in the state has been rapidly increasing despite strict measures by the government. Even the defaulters are being dealt with strictly as heavy fines are collected from them. However, the caseload is not decreasing. Adding more to the active cases, four staff members and 229 students living in a residential school hostel in Washim district tested positive for COVID-19. The news has spread panic in the region.

The administration has declared the school premises as a containment zone. As per the update by the Washim District Information Office, the school is in Degaon in Risod taluka of the district. Collector Shanmugarajan S paid a visit to the school to review the situation.

A total of 327 students from Amravati, Hingoli, Nanded, Washim, Buldhana, Akola reside in this hostel.

Washim has been in the news over a large gathering near a temple on Tuesday in violation of Covid-19 protocols. Thousands of supporters of Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Rathod, whose name has been linked to the alleged suicide of TikTok star Pooja Chavan, gathered near the temple as he visited the shrine.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra on Wednesday witnessed a significant rise in COVID-19 cases, with more than 8,000 new infections coming to light in a single day after a gap of over four months, health officials said.

The state reported 8,807 cases on Wednesday, taking its total infection count to 21,21,119. It had reported 8,142 cases on October 21 last year, after which the numbers had declined.

Asking people to follow Covid-19-appropriate behaviour and safety guidelines, CM Thackeray had said he would observe the situation for a week to 15 days and then take a decision on lockdown.