Lucknow, Mar 30 (FN Bureau) The Uttar Pradesh government has asked all frontline workers and hospitals, including government and private, to remain alert in the wake of a slight increase in the number of Covid cases in some districts of the state, official sources said here on Thursday. Sources said that directives have been issued to closely monitor the cases of Respiratory Tract Infection (RTI), Influenza Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) in all the districts. “In cases of SARI it has been directed to get tested for seasonal influenza if the Covid test is negative,” they said. It may be noted that there has been a partial increase in the cases of Covid in the state in the last few days. The number of active patients of Covid was 340 on March 28. In such a situation, the Yogi government has issued instructions to make necessary arrangements for the management of Covid.
The directives were issued during a presentation regarding Communicable Disease Control and Dastak Abhiyan before the Chief Secretary. Accordingly, officials have been directed to inform immediately about the increase in RTI, ILI, SARI cases. Besides, directives have been issued for intensive sampling of Covid at places where cases are reported. The samples will then be sent for genome sequencing to King George Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow. The government has also asked officials to take special care and precautions for elderly patients. Directives have been issued to ensure availability of logistics, medicines, PPE kits, gloves, masks and equipment, oxygen plants and concentrators in hospitals. The district administration has been asked to ensure that dedicated hospitals and wards are activated immediately. The districts most affected by Covid are Gautam Buddha Nagar where 57 cases were reported on March 28, Ghaziabad 55, Lakhimpur Kheri 44, Lucknow 27, Bijnor 12, Lalitpur (9) and Saharanpur 8. Officials have been directed to carefully monitor the present situation in these districts.
Directions have also been issued for increasing testing and treatment in the affected districts and taking special precautions in districts that were most affected in the previous Covid-19 waves. It may be mentioned that a communicable disease control campaign will be launched in the state from April 1 to April 30. The Dastak campaign will run from April 17 to 30. Under this, arrangements will be made for cleanliness and water logging disposal in rural and urban areas. Along with this, intensive vector, mosquito control activities will be carried out in high risk areas with inter-departmental cooperation. Awareness activities will be organised in schools for prevention of diseases. During the Dastak campaign, screening and treatment of symptomatic persons identified by the frontline workers will be ensured.