With the recovery of 5,439 patients till date, the state now has 3,553 active cases of infection. (Representational Photo)

Uttar Pradesh on Thursday reported highest single-day fatality linked to novel coronavirus with 15 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the total toll to 245. The last time such a high number of deaths were reported in one day were on May 28 (15 deaths) and May 22 (14 deaths).

Also, 371 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of infected people to 9,237. The last 1,000 cases – from 8,000 to 9,000 – were added in four days.

According to the health department’s bulletin, three deaths each were reported from Meerut and Firozabad, two each from Agra, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr and one each from Azamgarh, Pratapgarh and Balrampur.

While Agra still has the highest deaths at 47, Meerut with the latest fatalities has the second highest with 32.

Of the remaining 245 deaths so far in the state, Firozabad and Aligarh have reported 16 each, Kanpur Nagar 13 and Moradabad 10.

Briefing the mediapersons, Principal Secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said that the fatality rate in people above the age of 50 years is more than 30 percent, and appealed to the aged people, pregnant women and those having co-morbidities to take utmost care and all necessary precautions to safeguard themselves from the infection.

Citing the health department’s data, Prasad that while six per cent of those infected are above 60 years of age, 32.5 per cent in this age group have died. The 51-60 age group age group accounts for 8.8 per cent of the number of people infected with the virus in the state and 31.5 per cent of the deaths, he added.

Meanwhile, the highest cases of fresh infection were reported from Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida). The district adjoining Delhi, where cases have surged in the recent weeks, topped the list for the fourth time in last five days with 31 cases on Thursday. In the last one week, Noida has recorded 185 new cases and by far has the highest number of active cases at 246. According to the district authorities, most of the fresh cases are primary or secondary contacts of infected people who or admitted in hospitals or are staying in institutional quarantine. Among the new cases are two policemen were posted in the control room of the district police. Earlier, three police constables had tested positive for novel coronavirus.

Kanpur City district also recorded a jump with 29 new cases. The district had recently shown signs of infection containment and a high rate of recovery — above 90 percent, successfully bringing the number of active cases well below 30. However, with around 50 new cases in the last three days, the district has 94 active cases. According to sources, the new cases were reported from hotspot zones at Dipti Padav and Shivnagar Colony.

Among the rest, 18 cases were reported in Baghpat, 17 in Meerut, 16 in Ghaziabad (another district adjoining Delhi), 14 each in Lucknow and Jaunpur, 13 each in Varanasi and Sant Kabir Nagar, 12 in Chitrakoot, and 11 each in Basti, Ayodhya, Deoria and Hardoi.

Meanwhile, 185 people recovered and were discharged from hospitals. Of them, Rampur recorded the highest with 35 people recovering, followed by Jaunpur (15), Pratapgarh (13), Azamgarh (12), Ghaziabad (11) and Gonda (10).

With the recovery of 5,439 patients till date, the state now has 3,553 active cases of infection.

Meanwhile, Prasad said that the capacity for sampling and testing was being increased continuously. On Wednesday, 10,563 samples were tested for coronavirus in various laboratories of the state, he said, adding, “It is our effort to further increase this number to 15,000 by June 15.”