UP crosses 300 patients-mark, lockdown against coronavirus may not end on Apr 14

As coronavirus cases crossed the 300-mark in Uttar Pradesh on Monday, the state government indicated that the lockdown in the state could continue even after April 14 when the three-week period announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ends.

It will take time, Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Information) Awanish Awasthi said on the possibility of the restrictions ending that day in Uttar Pradesh.

His remarks come a day after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the lockdown, which was imposed nationwide to contain coronavirus, will be lifted on April 15. The CM had called for a mechanism to ensure crowding doesn't take place when this happen, else all efforts so far will go to waste.

But Awasthi indicated that lifting the lockdown on April 14 is unlikely.

Since the number of coronavirus cases has gone up markedly in the past couple of days with a large number of those linked to the Jamaat testing positive, it would be impossible to say that the lockdown will be lifted or not after April 14, he said.

Even If one case remains, lifting it would not be right as the entire work done so far to control the virus would go in vain," Awasthi added.

"At this preliminary stage it is impossible to say if it will be lifted after April 14. It will take time," he said.

Awasthi said the number of coronavirus infections in the state climbed to 305 on Monday, an increase of 27 over the previous day.

He said 159 of these cases are linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin, which has emerged as a major coronavirus hotspot.

Twenty-one of the 27 fresh cases are linked to the Jamaat, he said, adding that eight members of the organisation tested positive in Sitapur, five each in Lucknow and Shamli, and one each in Bijnor, Kanpur and Allahabad.

Agra district tops the overall Tablighi Jamaat list so far with 29 people testing positive, according to Awasthi.

This is followed by Ghaziabad (14), Saharanpur, Shamli and Meerut (13 each), Lucknow (12) Sitapur (8), Kanpur (7), Maharajganj (6), Ghazipur (5), Firozabad, Hathras and Varanasi (4 each) among others.

So far, the state authorities have identified 1,600 people associated with the Jamaat. Of them, 1,200 were quarantined.

Thousands of people had participated in a congregation at the Jamaat's headquarters in Delhi's last month and then travelled to various parts of the country, with many of them carrying the virus.

"Our priority is to first take up the treatment of patients who have tested positive and then those who come in contact with them, besides tracing the chain of other contacts," Awasthi said.

Uttar Pradesh has so far reported three coronavirus deaths, one each from Basti, Meerut and Varanasi. At least 21 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.

Awasthi said the chief minister's meeting on Sunday with religious leaders from several faiths had a very positive impact.