Uttar Pradesh fights coronavirus: No new case, 5 with high viral load

In Agra, a health official said that eight family members of the 25-year-old woman, who tested positive, have been quarantined for observation and in order to check the spread of the virus.

\According to the officials, this woman and her husband had returned from their honeymoon in Europe earlier this month and landed in Mumbai. From there they went to Bengaluru, where her husband, who works for an IT company, tested positive for coronavirus and was hospitalised. The woman then left for Delhi and later came to her parents’ house here and allegedly did not cooperate with the health department officials on March 12 for a coronavirus test despite being “highly suspected”. The woman had tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday and has been hospitalised for treatment.

Her father has been booked under IPC sections 269 (unlawfully or negligently doing any act which is, and which he knows is likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life) and 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) for allegedly misleading misled health officials regarding his daughter’s whereabouts.

Eleven family members of another positive case in Agra have also been quarantined.

According to a bulletin issued by state Directorate of Health Services on Monday, 1,527 travellers were tracked on Monday and kept under home isolation and another 20 admitted to different health facilities.

“Till date, 4,358 travellers from coronavirus-affected countries have been identified and tracked by district surveillance units and all have been placed under surveillance. The state has cross-notified 552 travellers to other states and details of 34 travellers have been shared with concerned authorities for international cross-notification,” stated the bulletin.

The government said that quarantine facilities have been made fully operational at Lucknow, Varanasi and Gorakhpur.
Meanwhile, seven new lines have been added to the 24×7 call centre at the control room.

The state government has already announced closure of all educational institutions till March 22 as a precautionary measure.

Noida, Ghaziabad and Lucknow adminstrations have already ordered the closure of cinema halls and multiplexes till March 31. Gyms, swimming pools and clubs in Lucknow have also been shut.

—With PTI, Agra

Outbreak in stage II, will review on March 20: CM

Sounding caution, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said that the coronavirus outbreak is in the second phase in UP and a detailed assessment of the situation will be made on March 20.

The Chief Minister, who inspected the state communicable disease control room at the state Health Directorate here on Monday, said:

“In Uttar Pradesh, Coronavirus (outbreak) is in the second stage and a detailed assessment in this regard will be on March 20 when important decisions might be taken. The state government is keeping in mind the advisory issued by the Centre,” Adityanath said.

In stage II, the transmission of Covid-19 is limited to those who have travelled to the affected countries. In the next stage, community transmission is observed.

The Chief Minister also directed officials to set up a permanent and “state-of-the-art” control room that will have all modern equipment to deal so as to deal effectively with the epidemic and other diseases and control them in a better manner.

The human and technical resources will be increased in the control room as per the requirement, Adityanath said.
He said all necessary preparations have been made to deal with the coronavirus threat in an effective manner.

All district hospitals and medical colleges have set up isolation wards to provide best treatment to those affected by the virus, he said.

The Chief Minister also sought peoples’ help in dealing with the virus and directed officials concerned to initiate strict action against those hoarding and black-marketing masks and hand sanitiser.

VHP to go ahead with Ram festival, plans to keep gatherings small

CONCERNS over coronavirus spread is likely to affect the plans of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to mark ‘Shri Ram Mahotsava’ in over 2.75 lakh villages across the country for a fortnight, starting from March 25. After a high-level meeting, the organisation has instructed its units to cut down on big gatherings for ‘shobha yatras’ or ‘Ram Rath yatras’ and instead focus on small events to mark the fortnight.

The VHP had earlier announced big yatras, gatherings, sabhas and even installation of small idols of Ram in villages countrywide in this regard. However, it has now asked its workers to focus more on house-to-house events such as hosting of flags, reciting of ‘Vijay mantra’ and also distribute posters and stickers of replica of Ram temple in the villages.

VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal said, “Following coronavirus threat and Government advisories, we have decided to curtail some of our events, which required large gathering and have decided to ask our units across the country to rather focus on small events, especially house campaigns to encourage people to recite Vijay mantra and hoist flags in their houses.”

He added, “Even for small events, we have asked out units to get in touch with local health officials and take clearances before organising any such events.”

Bansal said while Ram Mahotsava is marked every year but the idea was to celebrate it on a larger scale this year to celebrate the Supreme Court judgment on the Ayodhya matter but following coronavirus spread, it has been decided to change the scale of the events.