At 10 active Covid cases, Noida is only behind Lucknow & Meerut

NOIDA: Gautam Budh Nagar is among the top three districts in Uttar Pradesh with the highest number of active Covid cases.
With 10 active cases on October 31, the district is a close third after Lucknow (23) and Meerut (15). While Ghaziabad recorded five active cases, Kanpur is fifth on the list with four active cases as on Sunday.
Lucknow and Kanpur did not record any fresh Covid case on Sunday.Noida, Ghaziabad and Meerut detected one each.
According to official data, Noida has recorded 57 Covid cases this month and it is the first time that the numbers have shown an upward trend in the past three months.
Following a surge in cases between March and June this year during the second wave of Covid, the numbers had been declining since July. From 156 cases in July, the tally came down to 51 in August and 46 in September.
Officials said that one of the main reasons that Noida records a high number of cases is that the district sees frequent travellers.
"There are many people who stay in Noida and need to go out for work elsewhere. Several people travel to their workplaces in Delhi and Gurgaon daily. It is difficult to stop this sort of movement. Now that Diwali is around the corner, people should ensure that they follow all Covid protocols. Unnecessary interactions should be avoided as much as possible," said Suhas LY, the district magistrate.
So far, the district has recorded 467 deaths. While the fatality rate is 0.7%, the current positivity rate in Noida is less than 0.1%.
Officials said that among those who tested positive this month, a few needed hospital admissions. They all have recovered.
Currently, all 10 patients are in home isolation.
Since Friday, most market areas in Noida have been congested with shoppers.
Traders and shop owners said they are trying to manage the crowds. "Some shops are allowing only a limited number of people at a time. Other customers are being asked to wait outside. At small eateries and restaurants, the staff are urging people to maintain social distancing norms," said S K Jain, president, Sector 18 Market Association.
He added that most traders and shop owners are asking their staff to wear masks at all times.
Meanwhile, six fresh Covid cases were reported across Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, which took the tally of active cases up to 107.
In terms of vaccination coverage, more than 22% of the state's eligible population has received both the doses of Covid vaccines, while more than 66% has got the first shot.