5 labs in UP for corona testing: Yogi

Varanasi: CM Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said the government is fully prepared to tackle coronavirus threat and five laboratories have been set up in the state with the help of central government for testing of samples.
“Laboratories have been set up at King George’s Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI), Lucknow, Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College, Gorakhpur, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, and one in Aligarh,” the CM told reporters here. He also inspected the newly-created isolation ward at Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya district hospital and took stock of preparations made by health department to manage coronavirus cases. No confirmed case of coronavirus has been reported in Varanasi district so far.
“The state government is fully prepared to fight against coronavirus. Each district is equipped with 10-bed isolation ward to handle coronavirus cases. Isolation wards have also been set up in 24 private and government medical college hospitals in the state,” Yogi said.
Urging people not to create panic by spreading rumours or falling prey to it, the CM said, “One should maintain personal hygiene and avoid going to crowded places. Instead of shaking hands, people should adopt and promote our traditional Indian way of greeting by folding hands.”
He said all preventive measures were being taken to check the spread of coronavirus. “Adequate arrangements have been made in the isolation ward of district hospital. A sharp vigil is being maintained on foreign visitors at airports, railway stations and bus stops,” he said.
Meanwhile, two persons from Ghazipur having symptoms similar to novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) were admitted to the isolation ward of Sir Sunderlal Hospital at Banaras Hindu University on Saturday and their test results are awaited.
Earlier, 13 people, including a woman from the US, were discharged from the isolation ward after their test reports were found to be negative. “BHU hospital is fully prepared to manage coronavirus cases. A 10-bed special isolation ward has been created and separate arrangements have been made in OPD for examination of suspected patients,” BHU spokesman Rajesh Singh said.