No let-up in Haryana as 217 more test positive
76% of new cases are from three NCR districts of Gurugram, Faridabad and Sonepat; Vij says it is due to people’s movement from Delhi
CHANDIGARH: Haryana registered 217 fresh Covid-19 positive cases on Friday, the biggest-ever single day spike, with Gurugram alone reporting 115 infections. About 76% of positive cases on Friday were from the three NCR districts of Gurugram, Faridabad and Sonepat.
As per the health department bulletin, the state’s Covid count reached 1,721, with 31 positive cases being detected in Faridabad and 19 in Sonepat.
Health department officials said the cases in Gurugram were expected to further increase as to and fro movement of people has increased during the relaxations in lockdown norms.
Blaming movement from Delhi for the sharp increase in infections in the state, home minister Anil Vij on Friday said the districts recording such a spike were abutting the national capital. “Gurugram alone has recorded over 500 cumulative positive cases while Faridabad has 307 positive cases and Sonepat 199,” a health official said.
Vij said he has sent a team of officials led by additional chief secretary, health, Rajeev Arora and director general, health services to NCR districts to analyse the situation.
He said accordingly, the state government will take a decision on whether or not to declare these NCR districts as red zones.
Vij, who also holds the charge of health portfolio, had on Thursday sought stringency in free movement of people from the national capital following an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in Haryana’s NCR districts.
The fresh curbs meant that people not carrying e-movement passes and not falling in the approved category of persons or services as per the directions of the ministry of home affairs will not be allowed to commute from Delhi to Haryana.
“Following relaxations in lockdown 4.0, the to and fro movement of people from Delhi to Haryana had increased. The authorities in the NCR districts seems to have lowered their guard and were allowing unhindered access,” officials said.
STATE HAS SENT A TEAM OF OFFICIALS LED BY ADDITIONAL CHIEF SECY, HEALTH, RAJEEV ARORA AND DIRECTOR GENERAL HEALTH SERVICES HAS BEEN SENT TO NCR DISTRICTS