UP Covid-19 tally crosses 299,000 with 7,016 fresh cases, 4,282 new deaths

The Covid-19 death toll in Uttar Pradesh rose to 4,282 on Friday with 76 more fatalities, while 7,016 fresh cases pushed the infection tally in the state to over 299,000, officials said

The COVID-19 death toll in Uttar Pradesh rose to 4,282 on Friday with 76 more fatalities, while 7,016 fresh cases pushed the infection tally in the state to over 2.99 lakh, officials said.

Additional Chief Secretary Amit Mohan Prasad said, "The total number of active cases in the state now stands at 67,321 while 2,27,442 patients have been treated and discharged after recovery. In past 24 hours, 76 persons have died due to the disease."

The total number of COVID-19 cases have risen to 2,99,045 while 7,016 fresh cases reported in past 24 hours, he told reporters.

The highest single day spike so far was registered on Thursday, when the state registered 7,042 cases.

The officer said the positivity rate stands at 4.14 per cent which is half of the national average of 8.44 per cent.

Among the, 67,321 active cases, 34,920 are in home isolation, he said.

"So far 1,44,147 persons have opted for home isolation in the state. Of them 1,09,227 have completed the isolation period," he said.

Prasad said over 72 lakh COVID tests have been done so far in Uttar Pradesh which has become the first state to conduct that many number of tests.

On Thursday, over 1.50 lakh tests were conducted, including over 50,000 RTPCR tests in government labs, he added.

Minister of State for Jails, Jai Kumar Singh Jaiki, on Friday said he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is now in home isolation.

"After detecting primary symptoms of corona, I underwent the test on September 9 whose results have come positive. As per medical advice, I have isolated myself at home," he said in a tweet.

In another tweet, he urged all the people who had come in contact with him in the past one week to isolate themselves and get tested.

As many as 12 ministers in the Yogi Adityanath government have so far tested positive for the virus. Two of them, Chetan Chauhan and Kamal Rani Varun, have succumbed to the virus.