Coronavirus Lockdown May Not End on April 14 in UP; CM Announces COVID-Care Fund

UP CM Yogi Adityanath announced UP COVID-Care Fund, which will be used for strengthening of healthcare system in the state.

Updated: April 7, 2020 1:52 PM IST

By India.com News Desk | Edited by Surabhi Shaurya

Coronavirus Lockdown May Not End on April 14 in UP; CM Announces COVID-Care Fund

New Delhi: The Yogi-Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government hinted at extending the lockdown (which was imposed nationwide to contain coronavirus) in the state as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the state surpassed 300-mark on Tuesday. On being asked, if the restrictions in Uttar Pradesh will continue beyond April 14, when the three-week period announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ends, Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Information) Awanish Awasthi said,”It will take time”. His remarks come a day after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the lockdown will be lifted on April 15.

Since the number of coronavirus cases has gone up markedly in the past couple of days with a large number of those linked to the Jamaat testing positive, it would be impossible to say that the lockdown will be lifted or not after April 14, Awasthi asserted, adding that, even if one case remains, lifting it would not be right as the entire work done so far to control the virus would go in vain.

“At this preliminary stage it is impossible to say if it will be lifted after April 14. It will take time,” Awasthi stated further. Notably, the number of coronavirus infections in the state climbed to 308 on Monday, an increase of 27 over the previous day.

CM Yogi Annouces COVID-Care Fund, Team 11 

Meanwhile, UP CM Yogi Adityanath announced UP COVID-Care Fund, which will be used for strengthening of healthcare system in the state. “There’re total 308 COVID19 positive cases incl 168 Tablighi Jamaat returnees. We’ve 10 testing labs in the state today. UP COVID-Care Fund will be used for strengthening of healthcare system incl establishing more testing facilities&COVID19 hospitals”, the Chief Minister told ANI.

Besides, the Chief Minister decided to set up ‘Team 11’ — a team of dedicated officers dealing with the coronavirus cases — in every district. “The district level Team 11 will be required to submit report to the government on a daily basis. It will address issues related to doorstep delivery of essential goods, food for the poor and homeless, checking violation of lockdown and keeping media informed of latest developments”, said Yogi.

The district teams have also been asked to prepare a blueprint to combat the impact of the lockdown on the economy.

Confirmed Cases Linked to Jamaat

Twenty-one of the 27 fresh cases are linked to the Jamaat. Apart from that eight members of the organisation tested positive in Sitapur, five each in Lucknow and Shamli, and one each in Bijnor, Kanpur and Allahabad. Agra district tops the overall Tablighi Jamaat list so far with 29 people testing positive.

This is followed by Ghaziabad (14), Saharanpur, Shamli and Meerut (13 each), Lucknow (12) Sitapur (8), Kanpur (7), Maharajganj (6), Ghazipur (5), Firozabad, Hathras and Varanasi (4 each) among others.

So far, the state authorities have identified 1,600 people associated with the Jamaat. Of them, 1,200 were quarantined. Uttar Pradesh has so far reported three coronavirus deaths, one each from Basti, Meerut and Varanasi. At least 21 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.

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