Uttar Pradesh Govt to Completely Seal COVID-19 Hotspots of 15 Districts From Midnight Till April 15; Check Full List
To avoid the spread of coronavirus, the Uttar Pradesh government in Wednesday ordered a complete shutdown of 15 districts. The order will come into effect from this midnight. The districts will remain completely sealed till April 13. The state government will then review the condition and will take decision accordingly.
Lucknow, April 8: To avoid the spread of coronavirus, the Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday ordered to completely seal the worst affected areas of 15 districts. The order will come into effect from this midnight. These areas will remain completely sealed till April 15. Authorities will ensure home delivery of essential goods. The state government will review the condition after April 15 and will take decision accordingly. Coronavirus Cases Reach 5,194 in India, Death Toll Jumps to 149; 773 New COVID-19 Cases Reported in Past 24 Hours in The Country.
The 15 districts are - Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Gautambudh Nagar (Noida), Agra, Kanpur, Varanasi, Shamli, Meerut, Bareilly, Basti, Bulandshahar, Firozabad, Maharajganj, Sitapur and Saharanpur. The state government has identified over 100 hotspots in these districts. Only health workers and people involved in delivery of essential items will be allowed to enter these areas. Till now, coronavirus has spread across 67 districts of the state. Will Lockdown Be Extended in Uttar Pradesh? Decision to be Taken Depending on Coronavirus Cases, Says UP Chief Secretary Rajendra Kumar Tiwari.
ANI's Tweet:
RK Tiwari, Chief Secretary while addressing media said, "15 districts have high viral load of COVID-19. So affected areas will be sealed. Only home delivery & medical teams will be allowed there. It's being done to prevent community spread, as numbers are high."
RK Tiwari's Statement:
District Magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar also appealed to people of the district not to panic. He also assured the residents of the identified hotspots that home delivery of essential commodities and services should be available at all places. The DM asked people to rerain from spreading rumours which could lead to panic among masses.
Gautam Budh Nagar DM's Tweet:
According to reports, out of the total COVID-19 cases in Uttar Pradesh, 166 are related to Tablighi Jamaat event which was held in Delhi's Nizamuddin between March 13 and 15. The state government has identified around 1,600 people associated with the jamaat and quarantined more than 1,000.
On Wednesday, the number of COVID-19 cases rose to 326 in the state. Three people also lost their lives due to the deadly virus. Meanwhile, in India, over 5,000 people have been tested positive for COVID-19. The death toll also rose to 149 in the country.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 08, 2020 04:20 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).