E-Paper
Lockdown may not be lifted in UP after April 14: UP govt
27 FRESH CASES: Statewide tally of Covid-19 patients goes up to 305, including 159 Tablighi Jamaat members.
The state government on Monday clarified that the lockdown may not be lifted in Uttar Pradesh after April 14 and said that the statewide tally of Covid-19 infected patients increased to 305, including 159 Tablighi Jamaat members.
“With a spike in Covid-19 cases, sensitivity in the state has increased. Covid positive cases in the state are increasing daily. Reports have been carried in certain sections of the media that the lockdown will be lifted in UP after April 14. The state government wishes to make it clear that lockdown is not likely to be lifted till there is a single coronavirus case in the state. The lifting of the lockdown means UP has become coronavirus free,” additional chief secretary, Home, Awanish Kumar Awasthi said at a press conference in the state capital.
“The state government has taken effective measures to check the spread of the coronavirus in the state. If the lockdown is lifted, the purpose of enforcing it to check the spread of the coronavirus will be defeated. If there is a single Covid case in the state, the chances of its spreading looms large. There is a need to put all Covid positive patients in isolation wards of hospitals and track and quarantine those who came in contact with them,” he said.
Earlier, there was speculation that the lockdown might be lifted by the middle of the month as chief minister Yogi Adityanath held a video conference with MPs and ministers on Sunday, telling them to prepare a work plan for the post-lockdown period, management of crowd and give suggestions on how curbs should be lifted.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the 21-day nationwide lockdown starting on March 25.
Awasthi also said 27 fresh cases, including 21 Tablighi Jamaat members, were reported in the state on Monday, taking the statewide tally of infected patients to 305 since the pandemic began. The state government had already identified around 1600 Tabligi Jamaat members and 1200 of them were quarantined, he said. The increase in the number of positive cases among Jamaatis was a matter of concern, he added.
“There is no community transfer of coronavirus in the state. Those who came in contact with the Covid- 19 positive patients are among people infected with the disease,” he said.
The state government has urged people, who are ill and staying in religious places, to contact the health department for treatment. Common people should also inform the authorities about the movement and activities of Tabligi Jammat members, he said.
He said 159 coronavirus positive Tablighi Jamaati members were identified in various districts, including Agra (29), Lucknow (12), Ghaziabad (14), Lakhimpur Kheri (3), Kanpur (7), Varanasi (4), Shamli (13), Hapur (3), Ghazipur (5), Azamgarh (3), Firozabad (4), Hardoi (1), Pratapgarh (3), Saharanpur (13), Shahjhanpur (1), Banda (2), Maharajganj (6), Hathras (4), Mirzapur (2), Rae Bareli (2), Auraiya (1), Barabanki (1), Bijnor (1), Sitapur (8) and Prayagraj (1).
