52 schoolchildren test COVID-positive in Maharashtra, 21% surge in Mumbai

As many as 19 children were found infected with COVID at a Maharashtra school, Jawahar Navodaya. Alarmed over the results, the school tested 450 students for the virus, and found 33 more positive cases.

A total of 52 children have now tested positive for the virus at the school, which has been sealed and the area declared a containment zone. The school is located at Takli Dhokeshwar in the state’s Ahmednagar district.

This comes as capital Mumbai recorded a 21 per cent surge in COVID cases on Sunday, reporting 922 new cases of coronavirus that were detected in the last 24 hours. It is the city’s highest single-day spike in nearly seven months.

The jump in cases comes amid renewed global fears over the new variant of coronavirus – Omicron. Two related deaths were also reported on Sunday.

India’s tally of the fast-spreading Omicron variant has climbed to 422, with Maharashtra reporting the maximum infections. It has 108 cases of the new variant. Forty-two people have recovered in the state so far, according to the health ministry.

Also read: Government decision to give COVID jabs to kids unscientific: AIIMS doctor

The Omicron variant, which was first detected in South Africa, has spread rapidly and become a source of anxiety for many nations, with Israel even ordering a fourth dose for its health workers and the 60-plus age group.

Last night (December 25), Prime Minister Narendra Modi too announced “precaution doses” (not booster shots) for frontline workers and those above 60 from January 10. The government will also dispatch teams of medical experts to 10 states, which are either reporting increasing Omicron and COVID-19 cases or showing a slow vaccination pace. This includes poll-bound UP and Punjab.