Express News Service
LUCKNOW: In the wake of the re-emergence of Covid-19 cases, the Uttar Pradesh government on Monday made face masks compulsory in public places in the state capital Lucknow and six national capital region (NCR) districts.
The increase in Covid cases has had an impact on the districts falling under NCR. Keeping this in mind, the government has made use of masks compulsory in public places in Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Meerut, Bulandshahr, Baghpat as well as capital Lucknow, said an official spokesperson here.
In the last 24 hours, 65 new Covid cases have been confirmed in Gautam Buddh Nagar, 20 in Ghaziabad and 10 in Lucknow, the official said, adding that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered “close monitoring” of the situation.
The state figures have gone into three digits. In view of the improving COVID-19 situation, the Uttar Pradesh government had given relaxation in wearing face masks earlier this month.
Yogi Adityanath also directed the officials concerned to identify the unvaccinated people in the NCR districts and complete their vaccination at war footing. He also directed the respective district authorities to make optimum use of the public address system to make people aware of the latest situation and increasing Covid cases and ask them to follow Covid protocol.
According to health authorities, the genome sequencing of Covid inflicted persons has established the presence of Omicron variant in cases emerging in NCR. In UP, the total active cases are 695. Over 83,864 tests were conducted in the state during which 115 persons were found to be COVID positive.
BHUBANESWAR:
The Odisha government has asked district administrations to remain ‘alert’ and urged people to ‘exercise caution.’
However, State Public Health director Dr Niranjan Mishra on Monday said though Odisha is still reporting cases of Covid-19, there is no need to panic as the number is negligible and the daily test positivity rate (TPR) has remained drastically low.
“There is no alarming situation in the State. New infections are being reported only from seven to eight districts in the State, that too in single digit. However, district administrations have been asked to keep a watch and take containment measures as per the need,” Mishra said.
The public health director, however, advised people to exercise caution wherever it is required to check the transmission.
He also said that the tests are being carried out as advised by the Indian Council of Medical Research. The fresh surge in Covid-19 cases has triggered apprehensions of another wave of thepandemic in the State. Mishra, however, said, “No new variant has been detected in the state and the situation is under control.”
Health officials said that even if there is any rise in the infections count, it would be less severe than during the third wave due to large-scale vaccination.
The State recorded 13 new cases in the last 24 hours. There, however, were no fatalities reported for the third consecutive day.
The new cases were reported from Sambalpur, Balasore, Balangir, Kendrapara, Khurda, Puri, and Sonepur.
A total of 18,886 tests were carried out in the last 24 hours in which the daily TPR remained 0.06 percent, health officials said.
They said the State now has 107 active cases. As many as 13 districts have zero Covid cases.
India registered 2,183 fresh infections and 214 deaths in the last 24 hours.
(With inputs from Sudarsan Maharana)