Covid-19: Special teams to camp in Agra, Meerut, Kanpur

LUCKNOW: Alarmed over the Covid-19 situation in high-burden districts of Agra, Meerut and Kanpur, the state government has asked senior officers to camp and review the prevention and management protocols.
The three districts together account for over 37% of all Covid-19 cases and over 54% of coronavirus related deaths in the state. Agra in particular is home to 22% Covid-19 cases in UP besides being in the top 15 worst-hit cities of the country.
Three senior IAS and IPS officers will be stationed in these districts as per instructions issued by the CM.These officers will be joined by two senior officers from the state health department.Accordingly, principal secretary, infrastructure, Alok Kumar and IG Vijay Kumar have been posted in Agra; UP State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA) MD Anil Garg and IG Deepak Ratan have been posted in Kanpur, while the command of Meerut has been given to irrigation department principal secretary T Venkatesh and IG Laxmi Singh.
Their reports would be tabled at CM Yogi’s meeting with ‘Team 11’
Government sources said that the teams have been provided a checklist against which they are to submit their feedback to the CM every day. Their reports would be tabled at the CM’s meeting with Team 11. The officials have also been told to stay in the district till further orders.
A team from Union ministry of health and family welfare and Indian Council of Medical Research visited Agra where 24 persons have died because of the pandemic.
Kanpur and Meerut, where Covid-19 cases are increasing fast, have also left authorities worried over possible lapses in infection management procedures. Cases in Kanpur have doubled in less than two weeks, while in Meerut they have gone up by 45% in the past one week.
“Nodal officers posted in these districts will send reports to the government every morning and evening. Their main task is to ensure that the lockdown should be strictly followed in all the three districts,” additional chief secretary, home, Awanish Kumar Awasthi said on Sunday adding that chief minister Yogi Adityanath has particularly emphasized to ensure that the lockdown is observed strictly in Kanpur, Meerut and Agra.
Government sources said that the teams have been provided a checklist against which they are to submit their feedback to the CM every day. Their reports would be tabled at the CM’s meeting with Team 11. The officials have also been told to stay in the district till further orders.
A team from Union ministry of health and family welfare and Indian Council of Medical Research visited Agra where 24 persons have died because of the pandemic.
Kanpur and Meerut, where Covid-19 cases are increasing fast, have also left authorities worried over possible lapses in infection management procedures. Cases in Kanpur have doubled in less than two weeks, while in Meerut they have gone up by 45% in the past one week.
“Nodal officers posted in these districts will send reports to the government every morning and evening. Their main task is to ensure that the lockdown should be strictly followed in all the three districts,” additional chief secretary, home, Awanish Kumar Awasthi said on Sunday adding that chief minister Yogi Adityanath has particularly emphasized to ensure that the lockdown is observed strictly in Kanpur, Meerut and Agra.