In view of the increasing COVID-19 cases in Uttar Pradesh, the state government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday ordered the authorities to seal the borders of 15 districts till April 30, 2020. Also, these 15 districts will be completely sealed. Any bank would not issue notice to any farmers for non-payment of loans till May 31, 2020. The decisions from the UP government aims to further prevent the spread of novel coronavirus.
The 15 districts of Uttar Pradesh which will be completely closed are Lucknow, Agra, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Kanpur, Varanasi, Shamli, Meerut, Bareilly, Bulandshahar, Firozabad, Maharajganj, Sitapur, Saharanpur, and Basti. These districts are said to have a high number of COVID-19 cases. People will not be allowed to step outside without wearing masks or face covers. No medical stores or grocery stores will be open. However, the state government has assured 100 per cent home delivery of essential items in these areas.
Uttar Pradesh has so far seen 326 cases of coronavirus, three patients have died and 21 have recovered. The decision from the Uttar Pradesh government comes after various indications from several ministers and key political leaders of extending the nationwide lockdown.
The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday said that the death count due to the novel coronavirus has rose to 149 and the number of positive cases have also witnessed a major spike. According to the ministry, 5,194 positive cases have been reported till date. While the number of active COVID-19 cases is 4,643, as many as 401 people were cured and discharged and one had migrated, it said. According to the ministry’s data updated at 9 am, 25 new deaths have been reported since Tuesday.
It is worth mentioning here that the novel coronavirus, which originated in China, has claimed thousands of lives across the world. Over 9.5 lakh people have been infected with the coronavirus across the globe, with the global death toll crossing 46,000. With no known cure so far for the coronavirus, the deadly disease has become a major issue for the entire world.