Masks Compulsory Again in UP's NCR Districts, Lucknow as COVID-19 Cases Surge

Taking view of the surge in COVID-19 cases, wearing of face masks has been made compulsory again in public places in Lucknow and 6 NCR districts, the state government said on Monday, 18 April.

(Photo: PTI)

Taking view of the surge in COVID-19 cases, wearing of face masks has been made compulsory again in public places in Lucknow and 6 NCR districts, the state government said on Monday, 18 April.

Masking will now be mandatory in Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Meerut, Bulandshahr, Baghpat, and Lucknow.

A total of 695 people tested positive for COVID-19 in Uttar Pradesh on Monday.

In the last 24 hours, 65 new COVID positive patients have been confirmed in Gautam Budh Nagar, 20 in Ghaziabad and 10 in Lucknow.

A total of 83,864 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in the last 24 hours, in which 115 patients tested positive. In the same period, 29 people have fully recovered.

What Are the New COVID Rules?

The UP government issued new COVID-19 guidelines on Monday and has urged unvaccinated people in the region to get vaccinated. The state government has also advised people with symptoms to get tested for COVID-19. As per the new advisory, all COVID SOPs must be followed in public places and transport.

The state government said that only the Omicron variant of coronavirus has been found during the genome sequencing of samples of COVID-19 patients.

According to experts, it is possible that the number of COVID cases will increase but there will be no situation of hospitalisation or the patient becoming very serious, said the government.

People are advised to follow the mandated COVID-19 protocols.

The state government also said that although the vaccination of adults is on track, the vaccination drive of children must be accelerated. More than 94 percent of adolescents in the 15-17 age group have received their first dose.

After the first dose, children in the age group of 12 to 14 years should be given the second dose as per eligibility, as per the government's advisory.

With more than 30.75 million COVID vaccinations, more than 86.34 percent of adults have received both doses.

Schools Suspend Physical Classes

Four schools in Noida and Ghaziabad suspended physical classes after over 23 students tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, 13 April.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government's Directorate of Education issued an advisory to all private schools in the city on Wednesday, warning against the spike in cases recently.

The government urged authorities to ensure the wearing of masks by teachers and students on the school premises, maintenance of social distancing, regular washing of hands, and the creation of awareness about preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Delhi's Deputy CM Manish Sisodia on Thursday, 14 April, said that the government is in touch with all the schools to monitor the situation and people should not panic as there has been no hospitalisation.