Hindustan Times (East UP)

DELTA-PLUS VARIANT: UNDERTAKE MAX SAMPLING, SAYS YOGI

Follow recommenda­tions of expert committee, says CM

- HT Correspond­ent letters@hindustant­imes.com

LUCKNOW : Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said Uttar Pradesh must step up alertness over the new Delta- Plus variant as it was comparativ­ely far more virulent than the previous coronaviru­s strains and several states had started reporting Delta-Plus infections.

The UP experts’ committee had presented a detailed report with recommenda­tions for protection from the new variant, including the warning that it may affect comparativ­ely lower age groups, including children, the chief minister said at a highlevel Covid-19 review meeting.

The state should take all necessary steps, as recommende­d by the expert committee, to tackle it, he added.

“For a detailed and extensive probe of the Delta plus variant, the state should undertake maximum sampling and do genome sequencing of the variant,” he said to officials.

LUCKNOW: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said Uttar Pradesh must step up alertness over the new Delta- Plus variant as it was comparativ­ely far more virulent than the previous coronaviru­s strains and several states had started reporting Delta-Plus infections.

The UP experts’ committee had presented a detailed report with recommenda­tions for protection from the new variant, including the warning that it may affect comparativ­ely lower age groups, including children, the chief minister said at a high-level Covid-19 review meeting.

The state should take all necessary steps, as recommende­d by the expert committee, to tackle it, he added.

“For a detailed and extensive probe of the Delta plus variant, the state should undertake maximum sampling and do genome sequencing of the variant,” he said to officials.

He also asked them to “do sampling at railway stations, bus stations and airports of people coming in from other states. Districts should also collect samples.”

In accordance with the results of the sampling, mapping of the Delta-Plus affected geographic­al areas should be done as it would help in protection from the virus, he said.

“For genome sequencing, create facilities at KGMU (King George’s Medical University­Lucknow) and BHU (Banaras Hindu University-Varanasi),” Yogi Adityanath said to officials.

He asked the officials concerned to consult the UP experts’ committee on Covid and take all necessary safety and other measures without delay. He also called for a public awareness campaign.

Talking about the present status of Covid in the state, the chief minister said the infection rate in UP had gone below 0.1% and the recovery rate was over 98.5%.

The total active Covid cases were 3,423 statewide of which 2,078 patients were in home

isolation, he said.

In the past 24 hours, 2.69 lakh samples were tested and only 226 samples tested positive while 320 patients recovered.

 ??  ?? Yogi Adityanath
Yogi Adityanath

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