LUCKNOW: Upset at the falling number of Covid-19 tests in the state, chief minister Yogi Adityanath has directed all
district magistrates and field officers to ensure that no less than 1.25 lakh tests are conducted each day.
The CM office has shot off a letter to all districts, pushing for higher testing, even as the state has been recording a steady increase of cases over the past few days.
At the peak of Covid-19 outbreak between August and October, UP had been conducting 1.5-1.8 lakh tests daily. Over the past week, numbers have dwindled from 1.1 lakh tests to just about 90,000.
“There are a few reasons for this drop, including a shortage of available testing material, the weekend, etc. Shortages have been addressed now and the state will ramp up testing to a minimum of 1.25 lakh within this week. The CM has made it clear that no carelessness on this front will be tolerated,” said an official.
Meanwhile, though the number of positive cases being reported per day in UP is not as high as in many other states, there is a worrying rise, especially as Holi is drawing near and people from other states are returning home. On Monday, against 90,537 tests, 151 persons were reported positive while 162 were discharged after treatment. The highest number of cases was in Lucknow where 35 cases were reported, followed by Varanasi with 12 positive cases. Two deaths were reported from the state which included one each from Moradabad and Shahjahanpur.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold a video conference with chief ministers of all states on Wednesday to discuss the unfolding
Covid situation. Any changes in current protocols, including vaccinations, will be discussed during that meeting,” the official said.
Additional chief secretary (health)
Amit Mohan Prasad said that till 8pm, 2.73 lakh people had been vaccinated at 4,513 centres in UP.