UP records highest single-day spike of 1,338 Covid-19 cases, tally past 33,000

Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said there are 11,024 active cases in the state, while 21,787 people have been discharged from hospitals after recovering from the infection.

The Covid-19 tally in Uttar Pradesh rose to 33,700 on Friday with the highest single-day spike of 1,338 cases, while the death toll reached 889 after 27 patients succumbed to the disease, a senior official said.

A Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) worker sprays disinfectant while sanitizing an area, in Kashmiri Mohalla, Lucknow, on Sunday, July 5, 2020. (Dheeraj Dhawan / HT Photo)

The previous highest single-day spike in fresh cases -- 1,332 -- was recorded on July 7.

Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said there are 11,024 active cases in the state, while 21,787 people have been discharged from hospitals after recovering from the infection.

As many as 38,006 samples were tested for Covid-19 on Thursday, taking the total number of samples tested in the state to 10.74 lakh, Prasad said.

He said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will dedicate seven new labs of RT-PCR tests at a programme here on Saturday.

These seven labs will be set up in Aligarh, Varanasi, Gonda, Moradabad, Bareilly, Mirzapur and Balrampur hospital in Lucknow, he said.

Taking strict action against those who step out without face covers in public places, the Uttar Pradesh government has increased the penalty on violators from Rs 100 to Rs 500, Prasad said.

He said 36,114 help desks in the state have so far identified 16,030 people with symptoms and their tests are being conducted.