UP: Once declared ‘free of Covid-19’, Hathras sees surge in fresh infection

“An elderly resident has been travelling to Jaypee Hospital in Noida for his chemotherapy. On April 29, his sample was taken and he tested positive two days later. As a precaution, we had the quarantine members of the family. Last evening, their samples came back and 10 people have tested positive. The situation is under control since the infected persons had already been under quarantine,” said Hathras Chief Medical Officer Dr Brijesh Rathore.

According to officials, the cancer patient used to travel to Noida thrice a month for chemotherapy. His last session was on April 28. Once his report came back positive, 27 members of his family were quarantined.

The cancer patient and two others have been referred to Aligarh, while the rest have been admitted to district isolation wards. The officials have also carried out contact screening.

In April, four members of the Tablighi Jamaat linked to the Nizamuddin cluster had tested positive for the disease. The event in Nizamuddin, held in late March, was the source of a number of infections across India. In mid-April, after the four tested negative, the state government declared Hathras Covid-19 free.