Covid-19 infection spreads to one-third of UP villages

A passenger with his luggage leaves Charbagh Railway Station, during the second wave of coronavirus in Lucknow, Tuesday, May 18, 2021. Credit: PTI Photo

About one-third of villages in Uttar Pradesh are in the grip of Covid-19, a survey conducted by the state government has revealed.

According to the officials here, the survey, conducted in little more than 79,000 thousand of the total 97,000 revenue villages in the state, found that the infection had spread to 28,742 villages.

"We found Covid-infected people in about 32 per cent villages...68 per cent villages are still free from infection," said a senior state health official here on Wednesday.

Also read: Covid carnage: Are states lying about death figures?

He said that the Rapid Response Teams were trying to identify the people, who were infected and conducting antigen tests. "The infected people are given medical kits and are quarantined at isolation centres... those, who need medical attention, are admitted to the hospitals," the official added.

"We are constantly monitoring the situation in the rural areas...the district officials have been asked to take necessary steps to check the spread of the virus," he said.

Sources said that the state government had ordered a survey in the rural areas after media reports claimed deaths of a large number of people in the villages across the state with Covid-like symptoms.

Also read: Shallow graves and bodies in the river: Covid-19 hits India's villages

The opposition leaders have alleged that the UP government has been trying to hide the number of deaths due to Covid 19. Sharp discrepancies were found in the death figures released officially and those cremated or buried.

There were also allegations that the people in the villages were not being tested or provided medical care after being infected.