UP: Death count rises to 24; total cases 1,510 as 61 more test positive for coronavirus

(Eds: With updates, merging related story)

Lucknow, Apr 23 () The coronavirus death toll rose to 24 in Uttar Pradesh as three more people succumbed to the infection on Thursday, an official release said.

Meanwhile, the number of infection cases jumped to 1,510 in the state with 61 more people testing positive for it, the release said.

According to it, while two deaths were reported from Kanpur, the third one took place in Agra, which has so far recorded the maximum seven fatalities in the state.

Agra is followed by Moradabad in terms of the death toll, where the virus has claimed five lives so far.

The other districts from where coronavirus deaths have been reported are Meerut and Kanpur (three each); and one each in Basti, Varanasi, Bulandshahar, Lucknow, Firozabad and Aligarh.

So far, 206 people have been discharged from hospitals after treatment, the release said.

Earlier in the day, Principal Secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said all patients are recovering and the number of cases is stabilising.

He said on Wednesday, 3,737 samples were collected and a total of 3,955 samples, including the backlog, were tested.

This is the "record testing" in a single day, Prasad said.

Prasad said at present, 11,826 people are lodged in quarantine facilities.

Eleven of the coronavirus-hit districts--Pratapgarh, Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Khiri, Hathras, Bareilly, Prayagraj, Maharajganj, Shahjahanpur, Barabanki, Hardoi and Kaushambi-have no active case now, Prasad added. ABN RDKRDK