Yogi Adityanath sends additional officers to coronavirus-prone districts

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has sent two special secretary-level officials to assist the District Magistrates in controlling the spread of the coronavirus in Kanpur and Lucknow, the cities that have constantly registered a high number of COVID-19 cases daily.

According to an official spokesman, one special secretary-level official will also be appointed in Varanasi, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Bareilly and Bahraich.

On Monday, Lucknow and Kanpur recorded 629 and 269 cases, respectively, while Varanasi registered 148 cases, Prayagraj 223, Gorakhpur 255, Bareilly 197 and Bahraich 70.

As the number of containment zones in the state climbed to 10,350 with 41,490 infected patients, Adityanath underlined the need for increasing the number of beds in Level-2 and Level-3 COVID-19 hospitals which provide facility for oxygen and ventilators.

As Lucknow is currently recording the highest number of cases in the state, the Chief Minister said that the number of beds should be increased in KGMU, SGPGI and the RML Hospital, with special instructions to complete a new hospital under KGMU for COVID-19 treatment before the scheduled deadline of October.

Avanish Awasthi, Additional Chief Secretary (Home), said: "The Chief Minister has said that wherever necessary, additional manpower for hospitals should also be hired. COVID-19 hospitals should also be established in all medical colleges and a nodal officer to monitor the arrangements at these hospitals should be appointed by the health education department."

Adityanath also said that it was crucial to continue with all measures required to break the coronavirus chain and it was also necessary to focus on public awareness programmes through television, radio, newspapers, public address systems, posters and banners.

The police and the local administration have been asked to enforce the rule on wearing masks and maintaining social distancing very strictly.

The Chief Minister has also said that fire safety norms should be followed very strictly in all COVID-19 hospitals.

The fire department has carried out an inspection of several hospitals, both private and government, over the past three days.