Agra reported 42 fresh Covid-19 cases and one death in the last 24 hours, the health department said on Wednesday. For the past ten days, the daily reporting of the Covid cases remained almost stable under 50, while the recovery rate too, continues to remain healthy at over 90 per cent.

The total number of Covid cases in Agra is 6,820 while the number of recoveries is 6,197 and the death toll is 138. The number of samples collected so far is 2,41,779.

The Health department officials said there was no room for complacency. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's televised message had given a clear direction. "We are maintaining a high level of vigil and taking appropriate measures to ensure that the guidelines are followed in letter and spirit," an official said.

The response to the reopening of the secondary-level schools has not been encouraging as parents are reluctant to send their wards as yet. "Maybe, we will wait till after the festivals", said Sangeeta, mother of a Class 9 girl-student. The attendance has been thin, but the positive feature was the strict compliance of the guidelines by the school managements.

Banks, government offices, courts, and other public places are generally following the norms, but markets continued to be crowded by people who did not fancy wearing masks or maintaining social distancing, a Johri Bazar shopkeeper, Bankey Lal Maheshwari told IANS.

Meanwhile, the state health department has streamlined testing facilities and at the OPDs in the hospitals. More private nursing homes have opened Covid wards. The Agra Municipal Corporation has launched an all out war against dirt and squalor. Mayor Navin Jain said the campaign for clean Agra will continue till January 30.