Second wave of Covid-19 under control, says UP CM

Ghaziabad: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, during his visit to Ghaziabad Sunday evening, said that the present wave of Covid-19 infections in the state is under control and directed officials to continue with the strategy of aggressively tracing, testing and treating patients. The CM also focussed on increasing the role of “nigrani samitis” in both rural and urban areas.

The nigrani samitis are groups of officials, local councillors and other public representatives who operate in respective areas to deal with Covid-related issues.

Speaking at the district headquarters in Ghaziabad, the CM said that during the first wave of Covid last year, there were apprehensions that would be one lakh active cases in the state in August and September.

“However, with collective efforts, we were able to control the upper limit of active cases to a maximum of about 67,000, while the most cases seen in a day were 7,200. In the first wave, there was more need of L1 category Covid beds, which we created to the tune of 1.16 lakh, while 23,000 beds of L2/L3 category were also created,” the CM said.

The L1, L2 and L3 hospitals were created last year as part of the UP government’s three-tier structure to deal with Covid cases. The L1 hospitals are generally for asymptomatic cases while L2 hospitals deal with patients having mild to moderate symptoms.

The L3 hospitals deal with severe Covid cases.

The CM said that experts had opined that after April 25, UP will see one lakh new cases per day.

“But again we have been able to control the second wave and the peak is also under control. Now, we have the capacity to conduct two-and-a-half to three lakh tests per day and demand for L1 category beds is low. So, during this wave, we created another 80,000 L2/L3 category beds as needed,” the CM added.

He said that on April 24, there were 38,055 cases per day in UP, which was the highest in this wave, and now the state has about 10,682 daily cases (as of May 16, as per state control room records).

He added that the state launched an aggressive strategy of tracing, testing and treating which has reduced the number of active cases.

“We conducted 1.25 lakh tests per day in March and at present this capacity has been doubled. We are also working on a plan for creation of separate wards for post-Covid complications for recovered patients and their treatment will be done free-of-cost. To increase the supply of oxygen, nine oxygen plants are being constructed in Ghaziabad and overall, 35 oxygen plants are being constructed in Meerut division (including Ghaziabad and GB Nagar),” the CM added.

He said that he visited Bhowapur village in Ghaziabad during his visit and said the focus is now on rural areas where people from low-income groups, Divyangs and others will be able to get their vaccination registration done through common service centres.

The district officials said that the CM directed that the works done by nigrani samitis – about 447 in Ghaziabad including 161 in rural areas – should continue.

“The CM has given directions that the works should continue. We have also decided that the nigrani samitis will now speak daily to the Integrated Covid Command and Control Centre and will also hold daily meetings and the decisions will be documented on a daily basis. We are also roping in our booth level officers to filter out suspected cases and these efforts will continue,” Ghaziabad district magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey, said.

The officials of the health department said that the CM also stressed that the free-of-cost medical kit distribution should also be done through the nigrani samitis who are in direct touch with local residents.