BALRAMPUR HOSP EX-DIRECTOR TESTS POSITIVE AFTER DEATH; 16 NEW COVID-19 CASES IN LKO

LUCKNOW: A former director of Balrampur Hospital died at his residence here early on Friday morning and his sample tested positive for the coronavirus hours later even as the state capital reported 16 fresh Covid-19 cases.

“He was suffering from a kidney ailment and diabetes. He was to be admitted to the SGPGI. His sample for a coronavirus test was taken a day before and the report was awaited before admission.

He died around 2.30am at his residence in the Aishbagh area. His test report came in the morning. It was positive,” said Dr I Saran, former senior doctor at Balrampur Hospital.

The health department was informed about the test report. Having served as director of Balrampur Hospital between 1999 and 2001, he was also secretary of the

Red Cross Society. The health department had taken samples of the family members and one of them was found infected.

Lucknow’s 16 new positive cases included 10 from Chinhat. The number includes family members and neighbours of a Lohia Institute worker who tested positive a few days before. Nine of his family members and neighbours have been found infected with SarsCov-2.

The office of the chief medical officer has proposed declaring the Malhaur and Aishbagh areas as containment zones.

THREE MORE GRP MEN TEST POSITIVE

According to the health department, three government railway police (GRP) personnel tested positive. They were deployed on platform duty for managing the arrival of migrant workers.

Till now, over threedozen railway police personnel have tested positive for the coronavirus. A transport department staffer was also found infected with the Covid-19 disease.

Chief medical officer, Lucknow, Dr Narendra Agrawal said contact tracing was being done.

Health teams conducted a screening exercise and collected samples in different localities, including Vibhuti Khand, New Hyderabad, Colvin College campus, Shalimar Apartment, Monarch Apartment and Old Hyderabad. In all, 148 samples were collected.

CONTINUOUS COUGH CAUSES PANIC

Panic was palpable among the staff at an office in the Hazratganj area when one of them started coughing continuously and poured a bottle of sanitiser on himself. The colleagues helped him and called the health staff, who conducted screening.