COVID-19: UP records 8 more deaths, 163 fresh cases

Uttar Pradesh reported eight more coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday, taking their number to 74 as 163 new COVID-19 cases surfaced in the state, officials said.

Five fatalities were reported in Agra and one each in Aligarh, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Meerut districts, a Health Department bulletin issued here said.

The number of active cases in the state is 1,800, while 1,499 patients have been treated and discharged so far, it said.

Till date, 21 people have died in Agra, 11 in Meerut, seven in Moradabad, six in Kanpur Nagar, four each in Mathura and Firozabad, three in Aligarh and two each in Jhansi, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar, the bulletin said.

In addition to that, a death each has been reported from Allahabad, Etah, Mainpuri, Bijnore, Kanpur Dehat, Amroha, Bareilly, Basti, Bulandshahr, Lucknow, Varanasi and Shrawasti, it said.

A total of 3,373 cases have been reported in the state so far, the bulletin said, adding that the infection has spread to 71 of UP's 75 districts.

Fresh cases were reported from Agra, Meerut, Jalaun, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Bijnor, Firozabad, Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Mathura, Bahraich, Varanasi and Lucknow among others, the bulletin said.

Earlier, Principal Secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said the national recovery percentage was 30 per cent but the figure was 43 per cent in Uttar Pradesh.

"It is a matter of satisfaction that people are recovering and returning home," he said.

So far, 1,24,791 samples have been tested in the state.

Prasad stressed that community surveillance will play an important role in coming days with the return of tens of thousands of migrants.

There was a need for the 'gram nigrani samitis' in rural areas and the 'mohalla nigrani samitis' in urban areas to work strictly, he said.

"All those returning (to the state) are being kept in 21 days' home quarantine and those returning from abroad are also being put in quarantine. There is a need to ensure that infection does not spread and all remain safe," Prasad added.

Over one lakh migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh stranded in different parts of the country following the coronavirus-induced lockdown will return to the state by Saturday night in 114 trains, according to officials.

Appealing to the people to adhere to the lockdown rules which would save them from infection, Prasad stressed that steps like social distancing, sanitation including washing hands with soap and using face masks should be followed.