Uttar Pradesh on Saturday reported 120 deaths, its largest one-day toll from the pandemic pushing the fatality count to 9,703, while 27,357 fresh COVID-19 cases raised the infection tally to 8,21,054, according to an official statement.
Of the new fatalities linked to the virus, 36 were reported from state capital Lucknow, followed by 15 from Kanpur, eight from Varanasi, four each from Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar and Jaunpur among other districts.
Lucknow accounted for 5,913 of the fresh COVID-19 cases, Allahabad 1977, Kanpur 1826 and Varanasi 1,664, the UP government said in a statement issued here.
So far, 6,41,292 COVID-19 patients have recovered from the disease in the state, it said.
The number of active COVID-19 cases stands at 1,70,059 in Uttar Pradesh, the statement added.
In the past 24 hours, over 2.15 lakh samples have been tested for COVID-19 in UP, while the overall testings stands at over 3.80 crore,it said.
In a statement, UP”s Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said a presumptive COVID-19 patient (who has tested negative in COVID test, but shows symptoms of the disease in X-ray, CT scan or blood test) should be given treatment for COVID-19 if doctors feel so.
These patients may be kept in separate wards in the COVID treatment centres, it said.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who chaired a virtual review meeting on Saturday, said every hospital should have an oxygen backup of 36 hours.
He said in order to improve medical oxygen supply in the state, 10 new oxygen plants will be established, and the DRDO is extending help in this regard.
“For the establishment of an oxygen plant, the plot of land should be identified today itself, and work should begin on war-footing,” the chief minister said.
Uttar Pradesh Health minister and Medical Education minister have been asked to continuously monitor this, Adityanath said.
The Chief Minister said the HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) has proposed to set up a dedicated COVID hospital in Lucknow using its CSR fund. He directed the health department to coordinate with the HAL. PTI
