COVID-19 death toll rises to 127 in UP, cases climb to 5,175

Lucknow, May 20 () The death toll due to coronavirus climbed to 127 in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, with four fresh fatalities and the number of cases in the state rose to 5,175 as 249 more people tested positive for the infection, the health department said.

There are 1,981 active cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, in the state. As many as 3,066 patients have been discharged from hospitals after recovery, it said.

Of the four fresh deaths, two were reported from Prayagraj, and one each from Meerut and Gorakhpur, according to the health department.

Of the total 127 deaths, 27 were reported in Agra; 21 in Meerut; 11 in Moradabad; eight each in Aligarh and Kanpur; five each in Gautam Buddh Nagar and Firozabad; four each in Varanasi, Sant Kabir Nagar, Mathura and Jhansi; three in Prayagraj; and two each in Basti, Jalaun, Mainpuri and Ghaziabad.

One death each has been reported in Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Bijnor, Pratapgarh, Amroha, Bareilly, Shrawasti, Azamgarh, Etah, Kanpur Dehat, Mahoba, Kushi Nagar and Lalitpur.

Principal Secretary, Health, and Medical Officer Amit Mohan Prasad said a total of 7,179 COVID-19 tests were conducted across UP in the last 24 hours and the state is also ramping up its pool testing facility.

"We are emphasising on surveillance and over 3.38 crore people have been surveyed by 83,405 teams in Uttar Pradesh," he said.

Prasad said the Centre's Aarogya Setu mobile application is being used and alerts are being sent to people.

"We have made 23,780 calls on the basis of the alerts generated by the mobile app and 326 people have been quarantined, while 71 have tested positive for coronavirus," he said.

The officer said migrant workers coming from other states are being monitored by health workers.

"Over five lakh migrant workers were screened and 629 of them showed symptoms of coronavirus. Their samples were sent for testing," Prasad said.

The state government has asked them to strictly follow home quarantine and 'village/mohalla nigrani samitis' are keeping an eye on them, he added.

There are 56,019 isolation and 26,419 quarantine beds in the state, Prasad said, adding that there are 1,260 beds with ventilators as well. ABN DIV DIV