Uttar Pradesh: Coronavirus Hotspots In 15 Districts Sealed Till April 15, Lockdown To Continue In Other Parts

Uttar Pradesh government has decided to seal coronavirus hotspots areas in 15 districts with more than six positive cases till April 15. The normal lockdown will continue in rest of the districts. These places would be sealed and only medical services and home delivery would be allowed in these areas. The 15 districts are Agra, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Kanpur Nagar, Varanasi, Sitapur, shamli, Meerut, Bulandhshahr, Saharanpur, Bareilly, Firozabad, Basti and Mahrajganj. 

There are 22 hotspots in Agra, 13 in Ghaziabad, 12 in Gautam Budh Nagar, 12 in Kanpur, 4 in Varanasi, 3 in Shamli,7 in Meerut, 1 in Bareilly, 3 in Bulandshahr, 3 in Basti, 3 in Firozabad, 4 in Saharanpur, 4 in Maharajganj, 1 in Sitapur, and 8 big and 4 small in Lucknow.

The state government will soon pass an order that anyone stepping out of their house will need to cover their face with a mask or cloth. 

According to Union Health Ministry, hotspots are places that have seen multiple cases of COVID-19. The ministry has also identified two other kinds of hotspots- "Emerging Hotspots" are areas that saw a spurt in cases over a two-week period, and "Potential Hotspots", which have a high population density.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Uttar Pradesh stood at 343 on Wednesday. Out of these 26 people have completely recovered and been discharged. Out of the 343 cases, 187 are of Tablighi Jamaat attendees, said Principal Health Secretary Amit Mohan.

ALSO READ: Lifting Of Corona Lockdown After April 14 Not Possible, Looking At Options, Says PM Narendra Modi

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested on Wednesday that the lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus will be extended and restrictions will not be lifted in one go after April 14, amid a spurt in COVID-19 infections in the country. In a video meeting with leaders of all parties, PM Modi reportedly said he would consult with Chief Ministers but by all accounts the lifting of the lockdown "is not possible".