IndiaLucknow, May 5 () The novel coronavirus deaths in Uttar Pradesh rose to 56 on Tuesday with six more fatalities and the number of cases climbed to 2,880 after 118 people tested positive, a Health Department official said.
The active coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases rose 1,836 and 987 patients have recovered, said Vikasendu Agrawal, joint director/state surveillance officer, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme.
Out of the six new COVID-19 deaths, Mainpuri, Jhansi and Bijnor districts reported their first fatality, while two patients died in Agra and one in Firozabad, Agrawal said in a statement.
As many as 118 new cases were reported in the state, taking the number of people infected with the deadly pathogen to 2,880, Agrawal said.
Of the new cases, Amethi and Kushinagar districts reported their first case. Twenty-four new cases were from Meerut, 13 from Gautam Buddh Nagar, 12 from Agra, 10 each from Ghaziabad, Siddharthnagar and Kanpur Nagar, and seven from Firozabad districts.
Out of the total 56 deaths, 16 are in Agra, seven each in Meerut and Moradabad, five in Kanpur Nagar, four in Mathura, three in Firozabad and two in Ghaziabad districts.
A fatality each was reported in Lucknow, Varanasi, Aligarh, Kanpur Dehat, Bareilly, Jhansi, Bulandshahr, Mainpuri, Bijnor, Amroha, Basti and Shravasti districts.
"With a cumulative testing of 1,05,234 patients, the state has crossed the 1 lakh COVID-19 test landmark today," Agarwal said.
"Three new laboratories started testing for novel coronavirus today. These are Birbal Sahni Inistitute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow; Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow; Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow," Agarwal said.
The official added that the total COVID-19 cases in the state were from 66 out of the 75 districts.
Till now, 1,152 people of the Tablighi Jamaat, people related to them and those who came in contact with them have tested positive for COVID-19, the statement said.
Earlier briefing reporters here, Health Department Principal Secretary Amit Mohan Prasad said: "As many as 20 laboratories are working and pool testing is also going in the state."
Pooling of samples involves testing them in batches and when pooled sample tests positive, then individual samples are assessed. Pool testing reduces the number of test kits used, therefore, increases testing capacity.
"On Monday, 300 pools were tested, in which there were 1,440 samples. Of the 300 pools, 34 pools were found positive," he added. NAVHMB