COVID-19 surge continues in UP; night curfew in Lucknow, Kanpur
Uttar Pradesh reported 40 coronavirus fatalities, the highest in recent weeks, and 6,023 new cases on Wednesday, pushing the toll to 8,964 and the tally to 6,45,930. Night curfew will be imposed in areas under the Lucknow Municipal Corporation from Thursday till April 16 from 9 pm to 6 am, the official said, as the coronavirus cases continue to surge.
All educational institutions to remain closed till April 15
In a bid to effectively control the pandemic infection in the district, the Lucknow district administration said that all educational institutions, barring medical, nursing, and para-medical institutes, would remain closed till April 15. However, District Magistrate Abhishek Prakash said that examinations would be allowed in recognized educational institutes with strict adherence to protocols.
Night curfew in Kanpur imposed till April 30
Night curfew has also been imposed in Kanpur from 10 pm to 6 am and will remain in place till April 30, Kanpur District Magistrate Alok Tiwari said in a statement. There will be an exemption on ferrying essential items and there will be no ban on the movement of goods vehicles, the Lucknow district magistrate said.
CM Adityanath held a video conference with district magistrates
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a video conference with several district magistrates. Districts that are reporting more than 100 fresh cases every day and have more than 500 active cases, the district magistrate may take a decision regarding holidays, barring examinations, depending upon local circumstances.
Fifty percent of ambulances reserved for COVID-19 patients
Stress was laid on COVID-19 testing of people at railway stations and bus stations for effective control over COVID-19 and for effective contact tracing. Social distancing and masks have been made mandatory. Fifty percent of ambulances should be reserved for COVID-19 patients, while the rest for the non-COVID-19 patients, the state government said in a statement.
Six employees of KGMU tested positive despite being vaccinated
Six employees working in the vice-chancellor's office at King George's Medical University tested COVID-19 positive despite having received both shots of the vaccine, a doctor said. This comes a day after as many as 39 KGMU doctors, including the vice-chancellor, were found infected. "The administration is making every effort to stop the infection in the initial stage itself," KGMU spokesperson Sudhir Singh said.
40 new fatalities reported in the state on Wednesday
The 40 new fatalities on Wednesday in the state include six from Lucknow, five from Kanpur, four from Ballia, three each from Allahabad and Varanasi, and two each from Moradabad, Ghazipur, Amroha, and Fatehpur, according to a health bulletin. The District and Sessions Court in Lucknow has been closed for 48 hours in view of rising infections among some court employees.
The court will reopen on April 12
The court will now reopen on April 12. The Central Bar Association requested the district judge not to pass adverse orders in any matter if a counsel was unable to turn up to argue the cases in the present scenario. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav hit out at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the "grim" situation.
BJP is making false claims over controlling COVID-19: Akhilesh Yadav
"The number of infected persons and deaths is rising. But instead of making adequate arrangements, the chief minister is traveling in different states and delivering speeches as the BJP's star campaigner," Yadav said in a statement. "The BJP is making false claims over controlling COVID-19 only to garner praises. The result is that there is a second wave of COVID-19," the SP leader said.
Inaction toward violation of COVID-19 protocol matter of concern: Mayawati
Further, BSP president Mayawati said the central and state governments and people should take the surge in coronavirus cases very seriously. "Inaction toward violation of COVID-19 protocol, especially in election rallies and roadshows, is a matter of grave concern. It needs appropriate attention," she added.
