LUCKNOW: With 11 people having tested positive for the coronavirus in the state, the Yogi government, on Friday, invoked certain provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act in UP and issued orders to shut all government and private educational institutions across the state till March 22 as a precautionary measure.
However, educational institutions, where examinations are underway, will run as per schedule. Examinations in the schools of the Basic Education Council will be conducted from March 23. The situation would be reviewed on March 20 and the future course of action would be charted out.
Addressing a press conference, CM Yogi Adityanath said 11 coronavirus cases had been detected in Uttar Pradesh so far. Of these, 10 were being treated at Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi and one at King Georges’ Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow.
CM Yogi said that laboratories were being prepared for sample testing at five places in the state. “This arrangement was already in place at KGMU, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) in Lucknow and Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Aligarh,” said the CM.
He added that now BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur and BHU in Varanasi were also equipped with testing facilities. The CM said that isolation wards with 820 beds were set up across all 75 districts of the state. In addition to this, 448 beds were kept safe in isolation wards across all seven state government
medical colleges and private colleges as well.
Appealing to the people of the state to be alert and take due precautions to stop the march of the virus, the CM said physicians, para-medical staff and nursing staff of the state health department were being trained in this regard. “So far, 4100 physicians have been trained. Along with this, arrangements have also been made to impart training to Anganwadi workers and Asha workers. People are also being made aware to avoid congregating in large groups at one place,” he said.
The CM said thermal analyzers were installed on the Nepal border of the state. A team of doctors was keeping a round-the-clock vigil on those crossing the border.