Lucknow: With the coronavirus situation in Lucknow deteriorating with each passing day, Uttar Pradesh Law Minister Brajesh Pathak on Tuesday asserted that lockdown could be imposed in the city if the condition worsened. Expressing concern, Pathak in his letter to the state Health Secretary highlighted the poor condition of hospitals in the state capital. He stated that COVID-19 patients are not receiving proper treatment and if the situation is not controlled, the government may have to take stringent measures.
Last week, the state government had imposed a night curfew in Lucknow to break the chain of transmission. The curfew will remain in force between 9 pm and 6 am till 30 April.
The minister’s letter comes as the Covid-19 tally in Uttar Pradesh climbed to 7,05,619 with 13,685 fresh cases, while 72 more fatalities, highest single-day toll this month, pushed the death toll in the state to 9,224. Of the fresh cases, a maximum of 3,892 infections were reported from Lucknow, 1,417 from Varanasi, 1,295 from Allahabad, and 716 from Kanpur, among others.
“In the past 24 hours, 13,685 fresh cases were reported while 3,197 patients were discharged. The state has reported a total of 9,224 deaths till now,” Additional Chief Secretary of Health Amit Mohan Prasad told reporters here.
CM Yogi Rules Out State-wide Lockdown
Earlier on Monday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had clearly stated that neither lockdown will be imposed in the state nor the government would let the people die in misery. Addressing the meeting of Team 11 on Monday he said that it is the officials’ responsibility to ensure that there is no shortage of hospital beds for the patients in the state.
The chief minister suggested taking over of private hospitals and labs to manage the Covid situation in UP. Emphasizing testing, tracing and treatment, he said, “If needed, take over the private hospitals and medical colleges to overcome the shortcomings.”
He further said, “Our priority has to be the implementation of an effective strategy to stop the spread of Covid. We will have to fight the pandemic vigorously with full preparation, as there is no scope for any sort of negligence in this fight.”