The COVID-19 monstrosity spread its tentacles in Uttar Pradesh as there was a surge in the coronavirus infections with the state recording 22,439 fresh cases during the last 24 hours on Thursday while the number of positive cases was 20,510 on Wednesday.
In the last one day, 104 people lost lives to COVID-19 while the number of fatalities was 68 on Wednesday.
"To check the spread of coronavirus infection, there is an impetus on testing. In the last 24 hours, 2,06,517 samples were tested out of which 22,439 new cases of coronavirus infections were detected. We are going to further ramp up testing and will take it to 2.50 lakh tests per day," Additional Chief Secretary (Medical and Health) Amit Mohan Prasad here during his daily press briefing.
The state capital Lucknow witnessed the biggest spike with 5,183 positive cases followed by 1,888 in Prayagraj, 1,859 in Varanasi, 1,263 in Kanpur Nagar and 750 in Gorakhpur.
Prasad said there were 1,29,848 active coronavirus cases in the state out of which 66,528 patients were in home isolation. He said in the last one day, 4,222 COVID-19 patients had recovered in the state.
As the difference between the number of people who have recovered from coronavirus infection and people testing positive is very high, there is acute shortage of beds in Covid hospitals.
"Uttar Pradesh now signifies death and mourning. Death is reported from each mohalla almost every day in big cities like Lucknow, Kanpur Nagar, Prayagraj and Varanasi. Majority of the people have died waiting for medical help," Samajwadi Party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said on Thursday.
He is not off the mark.
An emotional letter by retired District Judge Ramesh Chandra, 67, has exposed the administration's inefficiency in controlling the COVID-19 surge. He and his wife Madhu Chandra, 64, tested positive for coronavirus infection. They were home quarantined as they did not get admission in any hospital. On Wednesday, Madhu Chandra died. Chandra wrote a letter and posted it on social media seeking help saying: "I have called the helpline numbers given by the government over 50 times since yesterday but there was no response. There was no one to deliver medicines at home or facilitate admission in any hospital. My wife died and now there is no one to help me in cremation."
"If a retired judge is facing the apathy of the government administration, what is happening to common man on street can be judged," Suresh Chandra, a social activist, said and added that a panic had set in as there was a surge of coronavirus positive cases across Uttar Pradesh but the government looked indifferent.
Additional Chief secretary Navneet Sehgal, however, said that surveillance was the only weapon to counter coronavirus infection. Under this campaign, 15.63 crore people had been informed about infection and 3.75 crore Covid tests had been done, he said and added, "In this way, under the surveillance campaign, out of the 24 crore population about 19.38 crore people have been contacted by the government machinery."
Amid the COVID-19 surge, migrant labourers have started coming back to their native places in Uttar Pradesh from different states, including Haryana, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
Sehgal said people who were not found to be infected would be sent to home quarantine for 14 days, whereas people without symptoms would be sent to home quarantine for seven days.
"Not only this, it has been clearly stated in the guideline that upon arrival of migrant labourers in their district, the district administration should not only screen them but also prepare a list of important information, including their names, addresses and mobile numbers," Sehgal said and added that along with medical facilities, proper arrangements for food and shelter would be ensured in these quarantine centres.