As schools reopen, 613 students test positive for Covid-19 in Maharashtra's Solapur

 As many as 613 students have been tested Covid-19 positive in Solapur, Maharashtra days after reopening of schools.

(Photo: Reuters)

Ahead of the Covid-19 third wave hitting the country, fear of the rising number of positive patients looms across the country. As many as 613 students have been tested positive in Maharashtra, Solapur district. Schools were reopened in the mid of July for Class 8 to 12.

Maharashtra Minister of School Education Varsha Gaikwad gave the orders to open schools in Covid-free zones from July 12 for physical classes. The schools were only reopen for students of higher classes i.e. Classes 8 to 12.

While announcing the reopening of schools, Varsha Gaikwad said, “It has become a need of the hour to have a co-educational approach to reach out to the children of the last strata of the state.”

The schools in Maharashtra were shut down in March 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic first hit the country. Being one of the worst-hit states in India, the schools didn’t reopen for offline classes throughout 2020 and the first 6 months of 2021.

Teachers, staff to be vaccinated before schools reopen

Further to the announcement of the reopening of schools in Maharashtra, the school education minister also stated that all teachers and staff members need to be vaccinated before the resumption of physical classes to limit the spread of the pandemic.

Making the announcement on Twitter, Gaikwad said, “Prior to the commencement of school, corona vaccination of all teachers and non-teaching staff in the respective schools should be done as a matter of priority.”