Hyderabad, Dec 3 Thirty-six students of three government-run residential schools in Telangana have tested positive for Covid-19.
According to health officials, 24 students at Jyotiba Phule BC welfare residential school at Indresham in Sangareddy district tested positive on Thursday.
Health authorities conducted Covid tests for 300 out of 960 students. The tests for remaining students will also be conducted.
According to school authorities, a class 9 student had developed fever in hostel on November 24. Her parents took her home to Gajwel and got a Covid test done which was found positive.
Sangareddy district Medical and Health Officer G. Gayatri Devi said all students have been kept in isolation. Officials are adivising parents to allow children to stay at hostel in isolation so that they do not spread virus to others but parents are insisting on taking them home.
This is the second Covid cluster in Sangareddy district. Last week, 48 students of Jyothiba Phule Gurukul School at Muthangi village had tested positive for the infection.
Meanwhile, nine students at a residential school-cum-junior college at Tatepalli in Jagtiyal district have tested positive. According to school officials, a student tested positive on Tuesday while six more were found infected the next day. Two students tested positive on Thursday. The school and college together have 586 students.
Three students of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya at Julurupadu in Bhadradri Kothagudem district have also tested positive.
A few days ago, Mahindra University near Hyderabad was shut down after 25 students and five staff members had tested positive for Covid-19.
Earlier on November 21, a total of 29 students of a government-run residential school and junior college for girls in Khammam district had tested positive for the Coronavirus.
This was the first time since reopening of residential schools in the state in October that such a large number of students were found positive.
Educational institutions in Telangana reopened from September 1. However, the High Court allowed reopening of residential schools in the last week of October after the Education Department gave an assurance that all preventive measures will be taken.
Meanwhile, six members of district Medical and Health Official in Suryapet district have also tested positive for Covid. The official's son, who recently came from abroad, visited Tirupati temple along with some family members two days ago. The health officer and five other family members have tested positive.
Number of daily Covid cases in the state have marginally gone up during last few days. According to the Health Department, the state reported 189 new cases during the last 24 hours. The overall tally of cases rose to 6,76,376.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor