90% fresh cases reported from urban areas in Gautam Budh Nagar district

On Monday, 115 fresh cases were reported across UP, of which 65 were from Gautam Budh Nagar alone. The district reported 56.5% of the state’s total fresh cases

Health department officials in Gautam Budh Nagar are trying to assess why the district has been consistently contributing over 50% of the state’s total fresh cases.

A health worker collects a swab sample for Covid-19 test at MMG district hospital in Ghaziabad on Monday. (Sakib Ali/ HT)

On Monday, officials from the health department and district administration held a meeting and finalised measures to control the spread of Covid-19.

On Monday, 115 fresh cases were reported across UP, of which 65 were from Gautam Budh Nagar alone. The district reported 56.5% of the state’s total fresh cases and the active caseload stands at 332 as on Monday. Meanwhile, neighbouring Ghaziabad district contributes 17% of the state’s total cases. It reported 20 fresh cases.

Officials say that availability of more testing laboratories in Noida could be a reason for the comparatively higher number of cases.

“There are more private labs available in Noida that offer quick results and home collection of samples compared to other cities. This access to labs is beneficial to the people and is also a major reason why more cases are being reported on a daily basis. People should not panic and the infections have been largely mild,” said Suhas LY, Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate.

Meanwhile, cases in children are also on the rise. Of the 65 new cases reported on Monday, 19 were children. So far in April, 110 children have been infected with the virus across the district. Since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, more than 10,000 people under 20 years of age have been infected with the virus, while the total cases stand at 99,043.