Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh):Uttar Pradesh reported 572 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, double the number of infections the state had reported a day earlier, a warning that fresh wave could be around the corner. On December 30, the state had reported 193 cases. The number went up to 385 on New Year's Day.
According to the official bulletin, nearly 64 per cent of the new cases reported on Monday were from just four districts - Ghaziabad (130), Gautam Buddha Nagar (101), Lucknow (86) and Meerut (49). Meanwhile, Covid-19 data for December 2021 showed a six-fold increase in the number of active cases in the state.
"Lockdown comes at a price while prevention is easier. Omicron, the new variant, may appear to be less lethal than the Delta strain, but it will cost lives when the pandemic peaks. No matter how much the government tries, prevention of pandemic remains a shared responsibility with citizens," a senior health official said.
After assuring that the children in the 15-18 age group in UP will be inoculated in a short period, CM Yogi Adityanath said, "It is true that Omicron is highly transmissible, but it is also true that in comparison to the second wave, Omicron is quite weak. It is like a normal viral fever. It is necessary to be alert. There is no need to panic."