With 151 new Covid-19 cases, Lucknow still on top of UP tally

LUCKNOW: A BJP MLA and a senior office-bearer of LMC executive committee were among 151 new Covid-19 patients reported in the city on Friday, taking the city’s caseload to 3,387.
Though the number of new cases declined by nearly 50% in comparison to Thursday, the number of ‘active cases’ in Lucknow was 2,060, the highest among districts of the state. This is because the city has been recording the highest number of cases consecutively for the past nine days, except for a day on July 9 when it was the second highest. Bamba Lal, MLA from Safipur in Unnao, got himself tested at SGPGI after developing influenza-like illness. The swab sample was taken on Wednesday and the report on Friday confirmed that he had novel coronavirus infection.
Rajnish Gupta, a BJP corporator from Yahiyaganj and vice-chairperson of the executive committee of Lucknow Municipal Corporation got himself tested after several employees of the civic body were diagnosed with the disease. His report on Friday confirmed Covid-19.
Both politicians have been admitted to SGPGI. With this, 12 politicians, including three ministers and four MLAs, besides 17 of their contacts, have tested positive for the infection so far. Abhay Seth, former deputy mayor, succumbed to the infection on July 6. Four patients under treatment in the emergency ward of SPM Civil hospital for various ailments also tested positive for the infection.
“All four patients were aged 35-45 years and were suffering from influenza-like illness at the time of admission. They were kept in isolation and their samples tested through the TruNat machine. When the results came positive, all four were shifted to Lokbandhu hospital,” said medical superintendent of Civil hospital Dr Ashutosh Dubey.
“A nurse was also diagnosed with the disease on Friday. She had not been coming to the hospital since July 12 after developing fever,” he added Other cases included 11 people from various parts of Gomtinagar, nine each in Indiranagar and Aliganj and six each in Cantonment, Jankipuram and Rae Bareli Road.
Meanwhile, 61 patients were discharged from various hospitals after recovery, taking the number of people who have successfully defeated the infection to 1,282. However, as the surge in the cases continued, 62 more localities were converted into containment zones. The city now has 566 such areas.