Agra Covid tally touches 999

In a fresh spurt, two health workers among 13 in Firozabad have tested positive for the Coronavirus, even as the tally in neighbouring Agra reached 999 on Thursday, as authorities expressed concern over the growing crowds in streets and markets.

The toll increased to 54 after an 80-year-old succumbed to the virus in Kamla Nagar area of the Taj city. So far, a total of 825 people have recovered.

According to District Magistrate P.N. Singh the recovery rate in the district is 82.86 per cent, the number of active cases is 120, and a total of 15,714 samples have been collected for testing so far. Inmates in all the barracks in the Central and district jails were also being screened.

A large number of people complained on Wednesday that they were not being tested in the government hospitals, but were being referred to private laboratories that charge an exorbitant fee of Rs 4,500 per test.

Singh expressed concern over the huge crowd that has turned up in the market. Some videos on social media showed that people were not following social distancing norms.

SSP Bablu Kumar said, the increasing number of vehicles in the market was an issue but efforts of better policing have worked to sort out the problem.

In Firozabad district, 13 new cases were reported on Wednesday that have alarmed the Health Department. The district is followed by Mathura with nine cases and Mainpuri (7), till Wednesday evening.

The infected people in Firozabad include two health workers and the total number of cases have reached to 95. In Mathura, the total number of cases has gone upto 109.