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Dedicated teams for random sampling in trans-Hindon areas, UP yet to decide on relaxing lockdown norms
The district administration Saturday gave directions to the health department officials for conducting random sampling and door-to-door surveys in the Covid-19 hot
The district administration Saturday gave directions to the health department officials for conducting random sampling and door-to-door surveys in the Covid-19 hot spot areas of Indirapuram, Vaishali and Vasundhara.
“Most of the cases are of hospital staff who contracted the infection at work but teams of the health department have been asked to take up random sampling and door-to-door surveys to find asymptomatic patients. These trans-Hindon areas have turned out to be major hot spots of Covid-19 over the past fortnight and we need to have better scanning and surveillance,” district magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey said.
Till Saturday evening, the Ghaziabad district collected 3,133 samples for testing and the results of 461 are still pending. The pendency of reports have delayed contact tracing and has also affected the surveillance and containment activities in hot spots.
Till Saturday evening, the district has 16 hot spot areas (red zones) and two orange zones, which are step down from red.
“The government has taken cognisance of delayed in reports and proper directions are being issued to Noida and Meerut officials to expedite testing. We held a video conferencing with the chief minister on Saturday night and on his directions, we will take a call on opening -- partially or fully -- facilities in the district,” Pandey said.
According to the recent communication by the Union health ministry, the Ghaziabad district has moved from a Red zone to an Orange zone, as per the latest classification of districts across the country.
Ghaziabad’s chief medical officer (CMO) Dr NK Gupta said three dedicated teams having lab technicians were deputed for random sampling in Indirapuram, Vaishali and Vasundhara areas.
On Saturday, three more Covid-19 positive cases were reported in Ghaziabad, taking the tally of cases to 74. Forty-seven persons e were discharged from different hospitals and the number of active cases is 26.
“The three positive cases are related to a man from Khoda and another from Modinagar. A woman from Sanjay Nagar who came for dialysis was also tested positive. Three patients were also discharged on Saturday. These included two women who were discharged from Meerut Medical College,” Dr Gupta said.
In Uttar Pradesh, the total number of Covid-19 cases was 2,455 (Saturday evening). The state also has 433 hot spot areas under jurisdiction of 286 police station areas.
“About three-fourth of positive cases in the state are from hot spot areas. We are also issuing instructions for opening of retail mandis (vegetable markets) for a longer duration of time, from 7am to 7pm. This will help avoid overcrowding. But proper social distancing and sanitization will be ensures in markets,” Awanish Awasthi, UP’s additional chief secretary (home), said.
