Epidemic
ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Uttar Pradesh, India
COVID-19 pandemic spread to Uttar Pradesh in March 2020. While the World Health Organization praised the UP government for its contact tracing efforts, there were several other issues in its management of the pandemic, including under reportage of cases by the government, vaccine shortages and dismal conditions of COVID-19 hospitals.
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Text from the Wikipedia article “COVID-19 pandemic in Uttar Pradesh”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
COVID-19 pandemic spread to Uttar Pradesh in March 2020. While the World Health Organization praised the UP government for its contact tracing efforts, there were several other issues in its management of the pandemic, including under reportage of cases by the government, vaccine shortages and dismal conditions of COVID-19 hospitals.
Uttar Pradesh is India's most populated state, with 240 million inhabitants. The 17th-century Taj Mahal in Uttar Pradesh is the most popular monument in India, attracting over 7 million visitors per year.
Uttar Pradesh has a large public as well as private healthcare infrastructure. Although an extensive network of public and private sector healthcare providers has been built, the available health infrastructure is inadequate to meet the demand for health services in the state.
30 April 2020 - UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also directed officials to add 52,000 additional beds in the COVID-19 hospitals in the state. Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Avanish Awasthi told reporters on Wednesday that while 17,000 beds would be added by the Health Department, 35,000 beds would be added by the Medical Educational Department. "The Health Department will increase 10,000 beds in level one, 5,000 beds in level two (with oxygen) and 2,000 beds in level three (with ventilator). The Medical Education Department will increase 20,000 beds in level one, 10,000 beds in level two and 5,000 beds in level three," he said.
17 March - The Uttar Pradesh government extended the closure of all educational institutions, cinemas, shopping malls, swimming pool, gyms, multiplexes and tourists places in the state until April 2.
Slaughterhouses in state were ordered to be closed from 22 to 24 March.
22 March - Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced the lockdown of fifteen districts in state, from 22 to 25 March, including Noida, Ghaziabad, Agra, Aligarh, Allahabad, Kanpur, Varanasi, Bareilly, Lucknow, Saharanpur, Meerut, Lakhimpur, Azamgarh, Firozabad, Gorakhpur and others.
26 May - The Uttar Pradesh government has decided that arriving flight passengers will have to follow 14-day quarantine at their own homes. On sixth day of home quarantine, flyers can get themselves tested and end the quarantine. Business travellers with return ticket within 6 days will be exempt but will not be allowed to enter containment zones.
17 March - District magistrates were instructed to spread awareness through posters and banners on the viral disease. Additionally, an appeal was made to religious leaders to avoid crowding in temples, mosques, gurudwaras and churches.
June 1 - The Government of UP released a new order that allowed the following to open up:
The lockdown will remain in place in the state until June 30, shopping malls, religious places and hotels and restaurants will open from June 8. The decision on reopening schools and colleges will be taken in July.
On 28 March, the Uttar Pradesh government arranged for 1,000 buses to ferry migrant labourers who were stranded on the border districts owing to a countrywide lockdown without consulting Delhi State Government that resulted in huge chaos on border. Officials of the Transport Department, bus drivers and conductors were contacted on Friday night to help the people who were stranded in Noida, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr and Aligarh, among other places.
On 25 April, a day after the Yogi Adityanath government announced that it would bring back UP labourers stranded in other states, the first batch of 2,224 workers, who had completed quarantine period of two weeks in Haryana, were brought back to the state in the first phase of the exercise on Saturday.
On 5 May the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish K Awasthi informed that over 65000 workers have been brought back from different states. He said that anyone from another state who is stranded in UP can register on 'Jansunwai' portal to seek help. "People from UP stranded in other states can get themselves registered" On 7 May the Additional Chief Secretary informed that around 51,371 had reached UP so far.
"Today 43 trains have arrived in the state carrying migrant laborers. With the help of these trains, 51,371 workers arrived from different states. Today, 13 more trains will come before 12 pm, about 15,500-15,600 laborers will come. We have given permission for about 43 trains," These 43 trains arrived at stations such as Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Jaunpur, Gorakhpur, Pratapgarh, Rae Bareli, Kannauj, Banda, Azamgarh, Barabanki, Sitapur and Unnao. There were 51,371 workers and labourers on these 43 trains. On 9 May the Additional Chief Secretary informed that so far, 97 trains carrying migrant workers have entered into Uttar Pradesh from other states and 17 more trains will arrive by evening today. Government has allowed plying of 98 more trains which will arrive tomorrow and day after tomorrow.
An Air India Express flight also brought back 182 Indians to Lucknow from Sharjah, UAE. By 11 May, 184 trains had brought 2.26 lakh migrant workers from other states. 55 more trains will arrive in Uttar Pradesh today. Around 1 lakh migrant workers also returned by their own conveyance. On 12 May the Additional Chief Secretary informed that so far, 233 trains had brought 281,408 migrant workers to the state. Today 13 trains have arrived until now and more will come in the coming days. All the passengers will be screened and medical checkups will be conducted. On 14 May it was reported that so far, 318 'Shramik Special' trains have brought back 384,260 people to Uttar Pradesh. 67 more special trains will arrive in the state today. Permission has been granted for plying of 174 more such trains.
On 21 March, CM Yogi Adityanath announced that the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to give ₹1,000 (US$14) to all daily wage laborers affected due to coronavirus in the state. On 1 May, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath directed that any worker or labourer of UP who is stranded in another state due to lockdown, can use his/her ration card number & avail its benefits there. Those who do not have a ration card, then under State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), food packets are being provided.
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath transferred Rs 225.39 Crores to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) beneficiaries through direct bank transfer. The state government has instructed to provide Rs 1000 to migrant workers who have been asked to remain in home quarantine after their return from other states. On 25 May the CM directed that the migration commission that is being constituted will be named Kaamgar, Shramik (Seva Ayojan and Rojgaar) Kalyan Ayog, to employ migrant workers/labourers. Under this commission, social security will be guaranteed to workers/labourers by providing employment to them.
The Uttar Pradesh government has said that Perpetrators be charged under the stringent National Security Act, Epidemic Act and the Disaster Management Act for resorting to violence and preventing the health and police officials from doing their duty. The state government has decided to use the UP Recovery of Public and Private Property Ordinance, 2020 against those indulging in violence.
Text from the Wikipedia article “COVID-19 pandemic in Uttar Pradesh”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.