Uttar Pradesh: Only 26% districts left with 200-plus active Covid cases

LUCKNOW: Daily cases of Covid-19 fell below 700-mark on Friday, while the state’s overall recovery rate crossed the 98% mark, according to data from the health department.
The official bulletin on Covid-19 indicated that 619 new cases took the state’s overall tally to 17,01,668. Of the total cases reported, 16,68,874, including 1,642 in the past 24 hours, have recovered.
This has left the state with 11,127 active cases, which is about 97% since the peak of 3.10 lakh reported on April 30.Officials pointed out that the number active cases have come to post-Holi level. A look at the bulletin indicated that only 26% of the districts in UP have more than 200 active cases.
Attributing the drastic improvement to UP’s trace, test and treat strategy, an official spokesperson said, despite the decline in cases, the state government has continued to maintain an average of nearly three lakh tests per day. So far, over 5.27 crore tests have been undertaken in UP, which is highest in the country.
Meanwhile, 74 Covid deaths in the past 24 hours took the toll to 21,667, which is about 1% of the total cases reported. Officials also pointed out that vaccination under Mission June has earned the support of the people in the state. As many as 37 lakh doses of vaccines have been administered in the first 10 days of the mega campaign that eyes to immunise over one crore people this month.
Cumulatively, over 2.20 crore doses have been administered in UP since the launch of the programme. Officials credited the surge in vaccination to people-friendly measures like separate booths for elderly, women and guardians. The role of targeted vaccination camps like that for government officers and journalists has also contributed. The government is now set to hold special booths for street vendors and drivers from Monday.
Principal secretary, medical education, Alok Kumar II visited SGPGI campus on Friday.