LUCKNOW: To keep a close watch on the emergence of new cases of Covid-19, the state government has decided to maintain testing of samples in large numbers despite a dip in the number of fresh cases in the last few days.
The government has also announced a special vaccination drive for women at ‘women special centres’ from Monday.
According to figures issued by the government, the health department conducted 3.1 lakh tests even as the state recorded 1,165 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours.
The figure was marginally up from Saturday’s 1,092 cases.
While Jalaun and Kaushambi did not record any new case, Kanpur reported maximum 102 cases, followed by Gautam Budh Nagar (91).
Meerut and Lucknow reported 55 and 42 cases, respectively.
The state, however, recorded 101 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 21,252.
Additional chief secretary, health, Amit Mohan Prasad said more samples were being tested as part of the strategy to keep a check on new cases.
As on Sunday, as many as 5.13 crore tests have been conducted in the state.
Active cases have further come down to 17,900 from 18,438 on Saturday.
Of these, 10,141 patients are in home isolation which indicates that the burden on health infrastructure has decreased.
The positivity rate was registered at 0.4%, while recovery rate stood at 96.7%.
In terms of vaccination, the state government has vaccinated more than 1.66 crore people with the first dose while 36.27 lakh have received both the doses.
At least 31.24 lakh people in the age group of 18-44 years have been administered the first dose of vaccine.
Prasad said the state government was conducting sero-surveillance study to ascertain the extent of the spread of virus in people of various age groups in urban as well as rural areas.
The study, which started on June 4, entails collecting blood samples of around 62,000 people.
“The infection has reduced but has not been wiped out completely,” he said, cautioning people to take adequate precautionary measures.
Meanwhile, the state government said it has managed to meet the immediate crisis of oxygen and steps are being taken to make the state self-sufficient in medical oxygen production and there will be no need to source medical oxygen from other states in the long run.
A state government spokesperson said on the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, out of 416 oxygen plants to be set up in the state on a war footing, 72 have been established while work was on at 344 oxygen plants.
As many as 25 oxygen plants are already functional in the state.