Yogi Adityanath calls for extra vigil in Lucknow, Kanpur as Covid cases rise

LUCKNOW: As some districts started showing a rise in daily Covid-19 cases, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said on Saturday that vigilance should be heightened across the state, especially in Lucknow and Kanpur.
In light of a second pandemic wave, which states like Delhi, are witnessing, the CM said that it was necessary to sensitise people continuously about Covid-19 protocols like wearing masks and maintaining physical distance.“Public address systems should be used effectively to convey this message. Departments like home, rural development, urban development, revenue, health and industrial development should be involved in this work,” Yogi directed.
To enforce the rule of wearing masks, the chief minister said that administration in each district, along with senior police officials and chief medical officers, should hold meetings with various NGOs and other associations. Strict action should be taken against those caught not wearing masks.
To break the chain of Covid-19, the CM said it is necessary to ramp up testing and at least one-third of all tests should be done through RT-PCR.
The state will also be increasing surveillance and contact tracing, especially for those who are arriving into UP from other states. Screening for Covid-19 will also be carried out at airports and railway stations.
Additional chief secretary, information, Navneet Sehgal added that cases in the districts near the Delhi border had gone up due to the second wave being witnessed in the capital. Some other districts had also reported a rise in cases which is why the number of hotspots, which had been steadily decreasing since the middle of September, have shown a slight increase.