Uttar Pradesh coronavirus tally hurtles towards 10K mark; infection spreading in rural areas

With more returning migrant workers testing positive for coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh, the COVID-19 cases in the state hurtled towards the ten thousand mark on Saturday.

What came as a cause for concern for the health authorities is that the new cases are being reported more from the villages and smaller towns in comparison to the big cities.

The state had witnessed record spike of over 500 cases of virus infection on Friday. So far, 258 people have died from the infection in different parts of the state.

According to the official sources, as many as three thousand returning migrant workers have tested positive for coronavirus infection in the state so far.

''This figure is all set to rise in the days to come as testing is ramped up,'' said a health official. Around eight to ten thousand samples were being tested every day in the state.

Over one hundred new cases of COVID-19 were reported from Bhadohi, Mau, Kannauj, Hardoi, Kushinagar, Aligarh, Unna, Hamirpur, Etawah, Jaunpur, Azamgarh and Bijnore districts, sources said.

''It is a matter of concern....the main reason behind spike in cases in the villages and smaller towns is that more number of returning migrant workers have tested positive for infection,'' the official said.

He said that necessary measures were being taken to prevent further spread of infection in the rural areas. Teams of experts were being sent to the rural areas to review the measures, he added.