UP: 19 new virus deaths, 605 more test positive

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh on Saturday reported 19 novel coronavirus fatalities and 605 infections, as the state's virus count reached 21,548 while the death toll rose to 649, a senior official said.

Additional Chief Secretary, Medical and Health, Amit Mohan Prasad said 14,215 people have so far been discharged from hospitals after recovering from the infection, leaving 6,684 active COVID-19 cases in the state. The recovery percentage of the state is 65.96 per cent, Prasad said .

Referring to the sample testing, Prasad said the state touched a new benchmark on Friday by testing 20,028 samples in a day.

In view of the continued cases being reported from the Meerut division, Prasad said almost 47 per cent of the total cases reported on Friday were from that region and a separate work plan is being prepared to break the chain of infection in that region.

"A campaign on the lines of pulse polio campaign will be launched in the state between July 5 and 10 for breaking the chain of infection. In Meerut division, this campaign will start earlier in the first week of July," Prasad said. Under this, door-to-door surveillance and screening of infection would be undertaken in the rural and urban areas, Prasad said. He said the rapid antigen testing has also been started in the state and on Friday it was carried out in 10 districts -- six of them in Meerut division, Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Prayagraj and Varanasi. The official said the testing began in Kanpur on Saturday.