30 Mumbai college students test COVID-19 positive; 28 fully vaccinated
At least 30 students of the government-run King Edward Memorial (KEM) Medical College in Mumbai have tested positive for coronavirus. Of them, 28 were fully vaccinated against the disease, reports said. One student has been admitted to the SevenHills Hospital for treatment while the rest, who are asymptomatic, have been asked to self-isolate. Here are more details on this.
College Dean Dr. Hemant Deshmukh confirms news
KEM Medical College Dean Dr. Hemant Deshmukh has confirmed the news. Of the infected, 23 are second-year MBBS students while the seven others are in their first year, according to officials. A total of 1,100 students are pursuing the MBBS course at the college. Other students of the college are also being tested, with 200-250 coronavirus tests conducted every day.
Investigation launched to find out cause of outbreak
Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar on Thursday confirmed positive cases at the college. "Some of them have mild symptoms. It may have spread due to some cultural or sports event held in the college," she told news agency ANI. She echoed Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's appeal to follow COVID-19 protocols. An investigation has been launched to understand the circumstances that led to the outbreak.
News comes as states reopen schools and colleges
The worrying news comes even as states across the country have started reopening schools and colleges in the wake of a drop in COVID-19 infections and faster vaccinations. However, the Mumbai incident and other coronavirus clusters detected in recent weeks have raised concerns over that decision. Just yesterday, the Mumbai civic body had announced the reopening of schools in the city from October 4.
Bengaluru school shut after 60 COVID-19 cases
Earlier this week, a major COVID-19 cluster was reported from Bengaluru. Some 60 students of a boarding school in the city had tested positive for the disease. Two were found to be symptomatic and one of them was admitted to a hospital. The school, that had resumed physical classes on September 5, has now been shut until at least October 20.