Uttar Pradesh coronavirus cases reach 28; lockdown in seven districts

Seven districts in Uttar Pradesh, including Lucknow, Varanasi and Noida, were put under complete lockdown till March 31 to check the spread of coronavirus even two more persons tested positive for the virus on Sunday taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state to 28.

The state government said that it was making arrangements to provide free test for Coronavirus and make the treatment of the affected people free.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said that the 'Janata Curfew' would be extended till 0600 hours on Monday.

Besides the state capital of Lucknow, Varanasi and Noida, the towns of Moradabad, Agra, Lakhimpur Kheri and Ghaziabad were also put under complete lockdown, sources said.

Sources said that Adityanath would be chairing an important meeting of senior officials late in the evening to review the situation and that the entire state could be put under lockdown.

Incidentally cases of COVID 19 had been reported from all these districts.

According to the sources Varanasi reported its first case of Coronavirus after a youth, who had recently returned from Dubai, tested positive for the virus. Another person tested positive in Noida.

The state government was planning to increase the number of isolation beds in the state to ten thousand from the existing two thousand. Sources said that the government was mulling to convert a few stadiums into isolation centres.

Meanwhile cities and towns in the state wore a deserted look as people remained indoors owing to the 'Janata Curfew'. Barring the essential services, all the shops and business establishment remained closed.