Apprehending another surge in the COVID-19 cases in the state during the coming festivals, the Uttar Pradesh government has announced a special drive with focus on group Covid tests of vendors, beauty parlour operators and workers in sweet shops who will come in contact with the masses.

The 16-day-long group testing will start from Wednesday.

“These tests will be carried out on people who will come in contact with people in connection with the festivals of Karva Chauth and Diwali,” Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said during his daily press briefing.

Prasad said on the opening day, the tests will be conducted on auto and three-wheeler drivers and rickshaw-pullers while on the second day, the workers of beauty parlours and mehndi outlets would be tested. 

Thereafter, tests would be carried out on the workers of sweet shops, restaurants, religious places, shopping malls and their security guards and electronic shops in a phased manner, he added.

The additional chief secretary said most of the tests would be done on people who were likely to come in contact with people in view of the festivals.

However, the tally of COVID-19 cases in UP reached 4,76,024 on Wednesday out of which 4,43,579 have recovered and 25,487 are admitted to the hospitals or are in home isolation.

Altogether 2,049 fresh cases of COVID-19 were reported during the past 24 hours in the state  while 2,742 people recovered. The recovery percentage in the state has also increased to 93.18 points, which is higher than the national average.

Prasad said that the number of active patients was decreasing day by day and the decline was 63 per cent since September 17 last — the day the peak was witnessed. 

The positivity rate in October has also come down to 2 per cent.

On Tuesday, a total of 1,54,450 samples were tested.