UP records highest single-day spike of 809 COVID-19 cases, tally rises to 16,594

Uttar Pradesh on Friday reported its highest single-day spike of 809 coronavirus cases, taking the state's tally to 16,594, officials said. The additional chief secretary said the bodies of patients will be handed over to their family members without awaiting COVID-19 test report.

Uttar Pradesh on Friday reported its highest single-day spike of 809 coronavirus cases, taking the state's tally to 16,594, officials said. The death toll due to COVID-19 mounted to 507 after 19 fresh fatalities were reported from different districts of the state, they said. The previous highest single-day spike in cases was on Thursday when the state recorded 604 cases. Among the fresh 19 deaths, five from Ghaziabad, four from Gautam Buddh Nagar, three each are from Agra and Kanpur, one each from Meerut, Bulandshahr, Ambdekar Nagar and Banda, an official report said

"Of the total infected people, 9,995 have been discharged from hospitals after recovery. The number of active cases in the state stands at 6,092," Additional Chief Secretary (Medical and Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said. He said record 17,221 COVID-19 tests were conducted on Thursday. The official said the state health department has also started random sampling. "Of the 3,475 samples taken from urban slums in 75 districts, 65 were found positive in 17 districts," he said. Prasad said 1.30 lakh teams of the health department have conducted surveys of 97 lakh houses. The additional chief secretary said the bodies of patients will be handed over to their family members without awaiting COVID-19 test report. He said family members will have to take all precautions while cremating the bodies. Besides, the state government has fixed the price of COVID-19 testing by the RT-PCR method to a maximum of Rs 2,500 and hospitals have been asked to make help desks equipped with pulse oximeters and thermal scanners to provide immediate help to patients. Prasad appealed to the people to follow social distancing norms, use face covers and take proper care of th aged, pregnant women, children and those suffering from co-morbidities.