Nashik, Jan 31 (PTI) Nashik guardian minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Monday said tourist spots in rural areas and all types of hostels will be opened in the district soon amid a fall in coronavirus cases and asked the local disaster management authority to do the needful. He was speaking after addressing a coronavirus review meeting here, which was attended by district collector Suraj Mandhare, NMC commissioner Kailas Jadhav and others. "The number of patients has come down to 15,500 from 18,500, registering a decline of 3,000. The positivity rate has dipped to 27 per cent from the earlier 41 per cent. Schools have also reopened and students have not been affected yet. This is a positive scenario,” Bhujbal said. Some heavily patronized sites like Brahmagiri mountain, Anjaneri mountain, Dugarwadi waterfall, Harihar fort, Pahine, Salher fort, Bhaskar fort and Ramshej fort, Bhavali dam, Vaitarana dam and Gangapur dam etc were closed for visitors from January 19. Meanwhile, district collector Suraj Mandhare said the kin of 13,520 COVID-19 patients have applied for compensation, of which 8,959 applications have been scrutinized and sanctioned so far. PTI COR BNM BNM BNM