Two deaths, 131 fresh cases in UP

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh on Thursday reported 131 fresh Covid cases, including 26 from Prayagraj, taking the infection tally to 6,03,232 while two deaths in Meerut pushed the state’s fatality count to 8,723.

Lucknow logged 18 fresh cases, Kanpur six, Ghaziabad five, Gautam Buddh Nagar eight, Meerut four and Varanasi seven, according to the health department report.

“Lucknow has till now reported 81,835 cases, of which 80,355 have recovered and the recovery rate is 98.19%,” said Dr Abhishek Shukla, secretary general, Association of International Doctors.

Fresh cases in Lucknow were reported from Ashiana, Cantt, Chinhat and Chowk.

The state had till now tested 30930489 Covid samples.

Remaining samples test negative

The remaining samples collected for Covid test from La Martiniere College, where four daily wagers engaged in construction work had tested positive on Wednesday, tested negative.

In all, 332 samples were taken after the daily wagers tested positive, said Yogesh Raghuvanshi, spokesperson, office of chief medical officer.

“We are happy that the larger college community is safe and are committed to assist in all efforts to trace, isolate and treat with dignity, those who are afflicted,” said Carlyle McFarland, principal of the college.

During the day, samples were also collected from La Martiniere Girls’ College. Principal Aashrita Dass said: “It was a good move by the health department and many of our teaching, non-teaching and support staff were happy to give their samples.”

Samples were being collected from school campuses as part of the focused sampling drive in the state by the health department.