Visakhapatnam: 59 Andhra University students test positive for coronavirus

Amid a surge in Covid-19 cases across the country, 59 students of Andhra University College of Engineering tested COVID positive.

Earlier today, District collector Vinay Chand reviewed the situation of Covid cases with Andhra Medical College (AMC) principal Sudhakar and District medical and health officer Dr P Suryanarayana in Andhra University.

Suryanarayana told ANI, "On Friday, 59 Andhra University Engineering College students who live in hostels tested positive. After a student tested positive, the health officials collected samples of 850 students, of which 59 tested positive."

"An asymptomatic student was living in University's hostel. After he tested positive, the health officials collected samples of 850 students, of which 450 results came out by the evening. Of them, 59 tested positive. Andhra University authorities, with the help of medical personnel, created two hostel blocks for isolation and four blocks for quarantine," he said.

Today, Andhra Pradesh reported 947 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of cases to 8,97,810.

India recorded 62,258 new COVID-19 cases, 30,386 recoveries, and 291 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the Union Health Ministry on Saturday. With this, the total cases in the country mounted to 1,19,08,910 including 4,52,647 active cases and 1,12,95,023 recoveries. The death toll has gone up to 1,61,240.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), as many as 11,64,915 samples were tested on March 24.

A total of 5,81,09,773 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far in the country.