Expressing concern over rising number of coronavirus positive cases in Meerut division, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath asked heads of departments and district authorities to work on improving surveillance to arrest the spike.
“House-to-house survey for surveillance was started in six districts of Meerut division on Thursday and it should be done strictly  following all norms,” the chief minister directed officials during his routine Team 11 meeting in Lucknow on Thursday.
While 7,485 teams are conducting surveys in six districts, the chief minister asked officials to double the number of teams to 15,000 so that the work could be completed in the next 10 days.
A total of 2,375 gram and 1,516 mohalla nigrani samitis would assist health department teams during the surveillance drive in Meerut division.
Also, coronavirus screening drive started in six major districts of Meerut division — Gautam Buddha Nagar, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Hapur, Baghpat and Meerut. The first two districts reported the maximum number of coronavirus positive cases in recent weeks.
The state government has also gone for rapid antigen tests in these districts and 50,000 additional kits have been provided for instant testing. The chief minister said that all citizens of the state would be screened under the initiative.
Testing has also seen an encouraging rise across the state, with more than 25,000 samples being tested daily as of now.
The number of beds for COVID-19 patients has also been increased. There are now 1.51 lakh beds for the purpose.
Briefing media persons about the meeting, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said that the chief minister directed all districts to set up quarantine centres where people identified with coronavirus symptoms during the surveillance drive could be put up till their test reports were received.
The state has already notified over 1.51 lakh Covid beds in the state.
The chief minister also requested the Centre and ICMR to allow private hospitals in the state to go for TruNat machines to test patients for coronavirus infection.
“This will also help a lot in giving treatment to non-Covid patients,” the chief minister said.
Awasthi said that over 1,000 Covid helpdesks had been set up in Meerut division. He said that there were 2,716 hotspots under 797 police stations with a population of over 53 lakh across the state.