Ramp up COVID-19 testing facilities in Uttar Pradesh: Adityanath

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials that coronavirus testing facilities should be set up at railway stations, bus depots and airports in the state in view of greater movement of people for the Holi festival.

Adityanath, who held a meeting with all divisional and district level officials and those of the medical and health department through video conferencing on Thursday night, said there is a need to chalk out an effective strategy to check the spread of coronavirus.

With people from other states coming to the state on Holi, arrangements for testing at all railway and bus stations and airports should be made besides contact tracing should also be ensured. He also asked for increasing the daily tests being done in view of the recent rising trend, according to an official release

The chief minister was apprised about the status of coronavirus cases, specially in Ghaziabad, Lucknow and Varanasi districts and said that people should be motivated to comply with the corona protocol and use of masks and social distancing.

Stressing on effective use of the public address system to make people aware of coronavirus, he directed for reactivating local level monitoring committees.

Reviewing the progress of COVID-19 vaccination in the state, the chief minister said all target groups should be vaccinated and asked for devising a strategy to stop the wastage of vaccines.

Success of the vaccination campaign will lead to success in prevention of corona.Therefore, an effective strategy should be worked out regarding the vaccination, he stressed.

He said people should be motivated to maintain social distancing and use of masks during Holi festivities and stressed that organisers of Holi related events should take prior permission besides ensuring cleanliness, uninterrupted supply of electricity and water during the celebrations.

The Shab-e baraat festival should be celebrated in a peaceful manner with complete compliance of coronavirus guidelines, he added.