As many as 18 kids from Mankhurd Children’s Home have tested positive for Covid-19 in just three days, between August 25 and 27. A total of 112 children were tested for the virus after one of the kids tested positive on August 25.
The home is run by the Children’s Aid Society and comes under the Maharashtra government’s women and child development department. “We cannot confirm any source for the spread of the virus at the children’s home. As soon as one of the children was tested positive, we got all 112 kids tested,” said Assistant Municipal Commissioner, in-charge of M-East ward, Mahendra Ubale.
The civic officials said the 18 children have been admitted to Videocon Athiti Covid-19 care centre in Vashi and are stable. One of the kids is nine years old, while four are between 12 and 13 years, five of them are in the age group of 14 to 15 years and six are in the age group of 16 to 17 years. According to Ubale, they will conduct more tests of their staff and others who visit the home regularly. Meanwhile, the incident comes two days after 26 children and staff of St Joseph Orphanage in Agripada tested positive. The BMC plans to conduct a second fever camp here this week.
to trace more cases.
Also, on Saturday, 14 children were tested positive for Covid-19 at a civic-run children’s home and hostel in Maharashtra’s Ulhasnagar district. Of these, four are specially-abled.
