Agra, May 22 (IANS): With the number of COVID-19 cases remaining under ten a day for past one week, there is considerable relief as the recovery rate touched 80.07 per cent on Friday.

Six new cases were reported Till Thursday night. The total count stands at 837, of which 696 have recovered. The number of active cases is now 110.

District Magistrate P.N. Singh said 11,462 samples had been collected so far. The city now has 41 containment zones.

The jail authorities have begun screening of inmates in a big way, isolating suspected cases.

Ahead of Eid, security preparedness has been upped. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Babloo Kumar said each police station would now have a Rapid Action team comprising specially trained cops fully equipped to handle tense situations and quell any localised ferment. This would help efficient implementation of the lockdown guidelines in the hotspots.

Meanwhile, the face off between the district administration and members of the Indian Medical Association, has begun hurting people in need of urgent Medicare. The private hospitals and nursing homes have opposed the 'arbitrary' action by the district authorities serving notices on flimsy grounds. But the good news is that the medical infrastructure in the S.N. Medical College and the district hospital has been streamlined and upgraded. Work on an exclusive Covid-19 hospital with 100 beds is in progress.

Hundreds of patients are being daily attended at the OPDs. The state roadways has been providing regular buses to ply migrant workers landing in Agra from different directions. The railways are back in business as booking counters for reservations are now open.