Yogi Adityanath directed officials to test people with symptoms within 12 hours and trace their contacts in 24 hours. (Express File Photo by Vishal Srivastav)Amid the growing number of Covid cases in Lucknow and Kanpur Nagar districts, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday held a video-conference meeting with officials there and directed them to ramp up survey to identify those infected with the virus and strengthen facilities in the hospitals.
“The Chief Minister has directed the authorities to conduct a door-to-door survey at its full capacity. It was added that the survey team will have a medical testing team along with them. A work plan will be formed for the same. The CM has also directed King George’s Medical University (KGMU), Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute (SGPGI), and the RML Institute of Medical Sciences to increase the number of Covid beds at their centres. He asked the administration to prepare a work plan to increase Covid beds in private hospitals within a timeframe,” a statement issued by the government read.
“The CM also added that the number of ventilators and high-flow nasal cannula oxygen (HFNC) beds need to be increased. The Covid and non-Covid hospitals have been directed to ensure at least 48 hours back-up of oxygen supply in the hospitals. He asked the DMs and CMOs to held regular meetings at Integrated Command and Control Centre established in districts along with an assessment of required extra manpower,” it added.
In the past 24 hours, Capital Lucknow reported 720 new cases of coronavirus — the highest — while Kanpur Nagar 387, the second-highest in the state. Both the districts also reported highest number of fatalities in the past 24 hours— 11 and 10, respectively.
Till Wednesday, Lucknow’s Covid count stood at 28,763, out of which 21,064 have recovered, 379 died and the remaining 7,320 are still recuperating. Kanpur Nagar’s Covid count has risen to 15,543, out of which 11,709 have recovered, 450 died and 3,384 recuperating.
The CM also directed officials to test people with symptoms within 12 hours and trace their contacts in 24 hours.
Meanwhile, 5,716 new cases were reported on Wednesday, taking the state’s total Covid count to 2,41,439. The death count rose to 3,616 with 74 fresh fatalities in the past 24 hours.
According to the health department bulletin, the count of active cases in the state rose to 56,459.
Samajwadi Party’s Lucknow office sealed
The Samajwadi Party on Wednesday said it has shut its state unit office in Lucknow for six days after “some people” working there tested positive for Covid-19. The party said the office will remain shut till Monday as a precautionary measure.
Sources in the party said some senior office-bearers are among those who tested positive, but the party officially did not give details such as the number of people infected or their position in the SP.
—With PTI