Uttar Pradesh has reported a total of 68 coronavirus cases so far with around half of them from Gautam Buddh Nagar district which includes Noida, officials said on Sunday.
Earlier in the day, the Gautam Buddh Nagar district administration said five new cases were reported taking the total cases to 31.
Speaking to reporters in Lucknow, Principal Secretary, Medical and Health, Amit Mohan Prasad said, "A total of 68 coronavirus positive cases have been reported so far from UP of which 14 patients have been discharged so far. The condition of the patients in the state is that they do not require intensive care or be kept on ventilators. Most of the cases are mild. The condition of the rest of the patients undergoing treatment is stable."
Replying to a question on community transmission, Prasad categorically stated that there is no community spread (of COVID-19) in the state.
He said, "All the patients of UP can be traced back to a person who returned from abroad. The Noida example where in which people of a factory have been infected, their case could be traced back to United Kingdom. All the cases of the state could be traced back to a foreign country."
On expanding the ambit of medical testing and screening of people who are coming to the state from outside, Prasad said, "It is not that we are testing only those who have come back from a foreign country or contact of a positive case. As per ICMR protocol, anyone suffering from respiratory problems and is hospitalised should be tested. We are now taking samples as well and testing the samples. We will expand the ambit of testing. No case of community spread has emerged before us so far."
He added that people coming to UP from other places will be screened in their districts.
"If they are found to suspected, they will be isolated in the hospitals, and asymptomatic people will be placed in quarantine facilities in schools, dharamshalas, etc. District magistrates have been informed about this. After they complete the quarantine process, they will be allowed to go to their villages," he added.
The principal secretary also stated that there is no need to panic and urged the public to stay alert and adhere to social distancing.
He also said that facilities to tackle the pandemic are being continuously ramped up in the state. "We have already sent a proposal to purchase 200 additional ventilators," he said.
"We will also engage private hospitals in the treatment of COVID-19. We are making a package for them. A number of private hospitals have approached us to treat COVID-19 patients and make their hospitals as quarantine centres. They will also be converted as a dedicated COVID-19 hospital. The rest of the patients of the said private hospital will either be shifted or discharged."
Referring to the three-tier hospital system devised by the state government, Prasad said, "Every district will have a L-1 (level 1) hospital. This is already in place and located at the community health centres, which have been made dedicated COVID-19 hospital. In some districts, the number of such hospitals is more than one. L-3 (level 3) hospitals are 5 to 7 super speciality hospitals like the 200-bed SGPGI, KGMU, BRD Gorakhpur spread across the state. Critical cases will be attended to in these hospitals."
L-2 (level 2) hospitals will comprise the rest of the medical colleges and hospitals at the divisional headquarters level. This will be done in the next 3 to 4 days, he said.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
