Pune schools to remain closed amid high Covid-19 surge, says Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar

New Delhi: As Maharashtra gears up to reopen schools on January 24, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Saturday (January 22) said the government has decided not to reopen schools in the Pune district for another week in view of high Covid-19 cases. 

Pawar said the coronavirus cases in the Pune district are not expected to fall for the next 8 days. “More than 16,000 COVID cases reported in Pune yesterday. So, we've decided not to re-open schools in the Pune district for the next one week. COVID numbers are not likely to come down in Pune, for at least the next 8 days,” ANI quoted him as saying. 

More than 16,000 COVID cases reported in Pune yesterday. So, we've decided not to re-open schools in the Pune district for the next one week. COVID numbers are not likely to come down in Pune, for at least the next 8 days: Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar

(file pic) pic.twitter.com/gwaPdGZW5f — ANI (@ANI) January 22, 2022

Earlier, the Maharashtra government had announced reopening of schools for students of Classes 1-12 for offline classes from January 24. Maharashtra schools were closed in the first week of January amid rise in coronavirus cases and in the wake of the emergence of the Omicron variant.

Meanwhile, the deputy CM informed at least 51 per cent children in the age group of 15 to 18 years have taken the first jab of the Covid-19 vaccine in Pune district and 75 per cent have taken the first dose in rural Pune. 

Further, he said that although the coronavirus infections were increasing, only 1.5 per cent patients are being treated at hospitals. “The number of people getting treated in hospitals are very less. The government hospital has plenty of space available and even the jumbo hospital is ready. Most patients are taking treatment at home,” Pawar said. 

Pune on Friday logged 16,618 new coronavirus cases, the highest single-day addition so far, which pushed the caseload in the district to 13,13,016. With 10 deaths, the fatality toll climbed to 19,343. 

(With agency inputs)

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