GB Nagar on Tuesday surpassed Agra’s tally and became the worst-hit district in the state at 1,099 cases.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday expressed concern over the spurt in coronavirus caseload in western part of the state and directed officials to immediately increase the number of Covid beds in the region.

Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida and Greater Noida), Hapur, Bulandshahr and Baghpat in western Uttar Pradesh are part of the Delhi National Capital Region. Officials had earlier said that 40 per cent of the cases in GB Nagar and Ghaziabad have Delhi connection. GB Nagar on Tuesday surpassed Agra’s tally and became the worst-hit district in the state at 1,099 cases.

Adityanath asked officials to prepare a separate action plan for these districts and crank up facilities at government and non-government medical institutions, and medical colleges.

He also ordered authorities to accord special attention to Meerut Division by increasing paramedical and health staff.

Additional Chief Secretary Awaneesh Kumar Awasthi said the new challenge is how to prevent the Covid spread in areas bordering other states.

“In the first phase, there was a larger spread from Tablighi Jamaat members, which was handled. In the second phase, there was a problem of infections from hospitals among medical staff, which was resolved too. In the third phase, about 36 lakh migrant workers came back and their multilevel checking was done,” said Awasthi.

Meerut, Ghaziabad, Noida, Hapur, Bulandshahr and Baghpat administrations have been asked to finalise a special action plan, he said, adding that “the chief minister has expressed concern over the infection coming from outside”.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Adityanath requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make a policy for peoples’ movement between Delhi and various districts bordering it, with a provision for their screening to curb the COVID-19 spread. “The CM has requested the PM for making a policy for districts bordering Delhi as there is regular transport between these cities. There should be an arrangement for the screening of asymptomatic persons to check the spread of COVID-19,” Adityanath said during the video-conference meeting with the chief ministers.

Adityanath also said to break the chain of the virus, permission should be given to keep asymptomatic corona patients in Covid-19 hospitals. “In home-quarantine, there is a possibility of spread of the virus from asymptomatic corona patients and it is difficult to maintain necessary discipline for them,” he said, adding that ventilator facility is available in all 75 districts of the state.