Noida Reports 5 New Coronavirus Cases, City Tally Jumps To 23, More Housing Societies Sealed

Noida is rapidly emerging as the hotspot of the coronavirus infection. On Saturday, five new cases of COVID-19 disease were reported from the city. With this, the tally of the area jumped to 23. With Saturday's addition of fresh cases, Noida leads the coronavirus list in Uttar Pradesh. The officials are worried over the way the town has been developed. There are several housing societies in the town that can have a few hundred to several thousand residents. With cases being reported from such societies, authorities have resorted to sealing the entire premise. On Saturday, housing societies in Sector 23, 44, 37 and 128 were sealed by the authorities. As of now, India has registered 918 cases of coronavirus infection with 20 deaths. The largely urban Noida has seen a steady rise of patients with foreign travel history. On the state level, another town that has reported a high number of cases of coronavirus after Noida is Ghaziabad. Both these districts were put under lockdown by the Centre on March 23. (Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates)

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday met nodal officers of all states and asked them to make arrangements for migrants in their respective states. The CM once again reiterated his appeal to the people to stay wherever they are and follow government guidelines to fight COVID-19. Uttar Pradesh is scrambling to contain the reverse migration which can lead to community transmission. On Friday, at least three new cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) were reported in Gautam Buddh Nagar District. While two positive cases of coronavirus were reported from Paras Tierra society in Noida’s sector 137, another case was reported from Omicron society in Greater Noida’s sector 3. As per reports, both Paras Tierra and Omicron society were sealed. Residents were asked to stay indoors.

In a related development to the exodus of workers, the Union Home Ministry on Saturday changed the rules for assistance under the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF), facilitating availability of money for food and temporary accommodation for migrant workers during the 21-day lockdown. In a communication to all chief secretaries, the ministry also said medical care and clothing can be provided to migrant workers during the lockdown period announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to combat the coronavirus pandemic. According to the new rules of the SDRF, provision for temporary accommodation, food, clothing medical cure etc., would be applicable to homeless people, including migrant labourers, stranded due to lockdown measures and sheltered in relief camps and other places, a home ministry official said.

(With agency inputs)