Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh): Uttar Pradesh reported 572 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, double the number of infections the state had reported a day earlier, a warning that fresh wave could be around the corner. On December 30, the state had reported 193 cases. The number went up to 385 on New Year's Day.
According to the official bulletin, nearly 64 per cent of the new cases reported on Monday were from just four districts - Ghaziabad (130), Gautam Buddha Nagar (101), Lucknow (86) and Meerut (49). Meanwhile, Covid-19 data for December 2021 showed a six-fold increase in the number of active cases in the state.
"Lockdown comes at a price while prevention is easier. Omicron, the new variant, may appear to be less lethal than the Delta strain, but it will cost lives when the pandemic peaks. No matter how much the government tries, prevention of pandemic remains a shared responsibility with citizens," a senior health official said.
After assuring that the children in the 15-18 age group in UP will be inoculated in a short period, CM Yogi Adityanath said, "It is true that Omicron is highly transmissible, but it is also true that in comparison to the second wave, Omicron is quite weak. It is like a normal viral fever. It is necessary to be alert. There is no need to panic."
Read - Covid India update: Over 37,000 new cases in 24 hrs; Omicron tally nears 2,000
"During the second wave in March-April, we had observed that the people who tested positive for the virus, took nearly 15-20 days to recover. Post-COVID complications were reported too. There is no such situation with Omicron. The virus has weakened now. Still, people with comorbidities need to be more alert. The state government is continuously coordinating with the Central government," he said.
At present, there are 2,261 active cases in Uttar Pradesh, with over 2,100 patients in home isolation, showing that the virus has "weakened". CM Yogi Adityanath also said that a sufficient number of beds are available and the State has the capacity to test 4 lakh for COVID-19 per day.
(With Agency Inputs)
