COVID-19 cases rise to 126 in UP

The number of COVID-19 cases has risen to 126 in Uttar Pradesh, an official said on Thursday.

Of these 126 cases, 17 have been fully cured and discharged while two have died -- one each in Meerut and Basti -- till date, Principal Secretary (Medical and Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said.

The Health Department has been maintaining an aggressive containment exercise in and around various districts from where positive cases have been reported and this has helped to some extent, he said.

According to an official bulletin, the district-wise tally of coronavirus cases in UP is Gautambudh Nagar (48), Meerut (24), Agra (12), Lucknow (10), Ghaziabad (9), Bareilly (6), Bulandshahr (3), Basti, Varanasi and Pilibhit (2 each), Ghazipur, Hapur, Baghpat, Jaunpur , Shamli, Moradabad , Kanpur, Lakhimpur Kheri (1 each).

Prasad said 429 samples of those who attended the Tablighi Jaamat congregation in Delhi have been taken and sent for testing.

"The samples of all those who had attended the Jaamat meeting will be sent for testing and a campaign is on for this purpose in the state," he said, adding all of them will be quarantined as per the medical protocol.

On Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's video conferencing with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prasad said the need to strictly stick to the protocols of social distancing, washing hands and hygiene were emphasised upon in the conference.

He said positive results are being witnessed in the state on account of sincere efforts being put in by public and employees and officials.

The good thing is that there has been a decrease in the average rate of infection in the state, he added.