LUCKNOW: With the number of COVID-19 cases advancing past 2600 in Uttar Pradesh, a team of experts from the Centre will be visiting districts in the state with a heavy virus load. To begin with, the team will visit the state capital Lucknow and Agra to assess the COVID-19 situation.
Agra and Lucknow are the two districts topping the tally of COVID-19 cases in the state. Agra has breached the figure of 600 and has the highest number of deaths in the state, with 15.
The district has one in every five COVID-19 patients in Uttar Pradesh. The number of hotspots has gone up to 44 in the district and the local administration has given no relaxation whatsoever in the city of the Taj during lockdown 3.0.
Lucknow has a total of 239 positive cases with 13 hotspots. The city makes up about 8.5 % of the total virus burden of UP. However, the state capital has registered only a single death so far. In Lucknow, the rise in the number of infections is mainly attributed to members of the Tablighi Jamat and their contacts.
As per official sources, 20 teams from the Centre would evaluate the COVID-19 situation in 20 high burden districts across the country.
However, compared to other state capitals like Bhopal, Jaipur and Ahmedabad, Lucknow has been able to keep the number of infections quite low, claimed health authorities.
Moreover, the UP CM also issued directives to senior officers to keep the districts of Agra, Lucknow, Meerut, Saharanpur, Firozabad and Kanpur on continuous surveillance as they have been the worst affected.
Meanwhile, on Monday, the state tally of total active COVID-19 cases rose to 1939 while the overall tally reached 2742. While 64 of the 75 districts of the state have come under the grip of the deadly virus, 758 persons have been discharged after recovery. The state has so far seen the loss of 44 lives.
Moreover, UP has allowed the facility of one nation, one card or national portability of ration cards. “Those coming to UP with the ration card of other states are being given ration in different districts. A person with a ration card of Maharshtra got the ration in Sultanpur. Similarly, those belonging to UP are getting ration in other states,” said Additional Chief Secretary, home, Awanis Awasthi. He added that two persons from UP got ration in Goa.