<p>20 Covid-19 patients have escaped from a care centre in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district, officials said on Sunday.</p>.<p>The incident took place on Saturday at the Covid-19 care centre set up at a students' hostel in Ghatanji taluka, local health officer Dr Sanjay Puram said.</p>.<p>Based on a complaint lodged by health officials, the Ghatanji police have registered an FIR against the 20 patients under relevant sections, he said.</p>.<p><strong>Read more: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/covid-19-sero-positivity-increasing-in-non-slum-areas-of-mumbai-says-bmc-978462.html" target="_blank">Covid-19: Sero-positivity increasing in non-slum areas of Mumbai, says BMC</a></strong></p>.<p>Puram said a Covid-19 testing camp was organised on Friday at Amdi village in the district.</p>.<p>Later, 19 village residents who tested positive for the disease were admitted to the Covid-19 care centre at Ghatanji.</p>.<p>All those 19 patients and another person lodged at the facility escaped around 8 am on Saturday, he said.</p>.<p>Puram said he had lodged a police complaint, seeking action against the patients.</p>.<p>Efforts were on to trace them, he added.</p>.<p>Yavatmal Collector Amol Yedge expressed concern over the incident.</p>.<p>"If this behaviour continues, the cases of viral infection will rise in the district. Instructions have been given to take criminal action against the patients who escaped," he said.</p>.<p>A committee will be set up to conduct a probe into the incident and action will be taken against those found guilty, the collector said.</p>.<p>On Saturday, 1,163 new Covid-19 cases were found in the district, taking the overall tally to 46,704.</p>.<p>The district has so far reported 1,073 deaths due to the viral infection.</p>.<p>As of now, there are 5,972 active Covid-19 cases in the district, as per official data.</p>
<p>20 Covid-19 patients have escaped from a care centre in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district, officials said on Sunday.</p>.<p>The incident took place on Saturday at the Covid-19 care centre set up at a students' hostel in Ghatanji taluka, local health officer Dr Sanjay Puram said.</p>.<p>Based on a complaint lodged by health officials, the Ghatanji police have registered an FIR against the 20 patients under relevant sections, he said.</p>.<p><strong>Read more: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/covid-19-sero-positivity-increasing-in-non-slum-areas-of-mumbai-says-bmc-978462.html" target="_blank">Covid-19: Sero-positivity increasing in non-slum areas of Mumbai, says BMC</a></strong></p>.<p>Puram said a Covid-19 testing camp was organised on Friday at Amdi village in the district.</p>.<p>Later, 19 village residents who tested positive for the disease were admitted to the Covid-19 care centre at Ghatanji.</p>.<p>All those 19 patients and another person lodged at the facility escaped around 8 am on Saturday, he said.</p>.<p>Puram said he had lodged a police complaint, seeking action against the patients.</p>.<p>Efforts were on to trace them, he added.</p>.<p>Yavatmal Collector Amol Yedge expressed concern over the incident.</p>.<p>"If this behaviour continues, the cases of viral infection will rise in the district. Instructions have been given to take criminal action against the patients who escaped," he said.</p>.<p>A committee will be set up to conduct a probe into the incident and action will be taken against those found guilty, the collector said.</p>.<p>On Saturday, 1,163 new Covid-19 cases were found in the district, taking the overall tally to 46,704.</p>.<p>The district has so far reported 1,073 deaths due to the viral infection.</p>.<p>As of now, there are 5,972 active Covid-19 cases in the district, as per official data.</p>