UP breaches 350-mark in one-day Covid-19 deaths

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Tuesday breached the 350-mark for daily Covid-19 deaths as 352 patients succumbed to the viral disease, but one-day recoveries outstripped new cases by over 12,500, according to official figures.

The state reported 25,858 new cases and 38,683 recoveries, the data showed.

The latest additions take the state's overall coronavirus numbers to 13,798 fatalities, 13,68,183 infections and 2,72,568 active cases, the data showed.

The total number of patients discharged from hospitals in the state stands at 10,81,817.

Of the 352 fresh deaths, Kanpur accounted for a whopping 66 fatalities, followed by Ghaziabad (24), Lucknow (22). Varanasi (19), Jhansi (15) and Gautam Buddh Nagar (11), the state government said in a statement issued here.

Of the 25,858 fresh cases, the capital city of Lucknow recorded 2,407 cases, followed by Gautam Buddh Nagar (1,761), Jhansi (1,232), Varanasi (1,174), Ghaziabad (1,057), and Moradabad (1,007).

More than 2.08 lakh samples were tested in the state during the period, taking the overall number to 4.18 crore.

Meanwhile, in order to protect villages from the pandemic, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed mega testing campaign in rural areas from May 5.

Under this drive, monitoring committees will go door-to-door to check people's temperature and oxygen levels with infrared thermometers and pulse oximetres.

ASHA and Angandwadi workers have been provided special training in this regard.

As many as 10 lakh antigen testing of those with symptoms or suspected cases will be done followed by home-isolation, institutional quarantine or hospitalization, depending upon the particular case, the UP government said.

A medical kit would be given to the patient before they are placed in home isolation. Presiding over a high-level review meeting here on Tuesday, the CM asked officers to make oxygen available to people under home isolation.