Agra, Jun 22 (IANS): Seven more coronavirus cases reported in the past 24 hours till Monday morning in Agra took the district's total tally to 1,139 even as 937 patients have been discharged so far after recovery. The death tally has increased to 77 so far, compared with 75 till Sunday morning.

The recovery rate of 82.41 per cent is encouraging, health officials said. On Sunday, Agra's recovery rate was 81.71 per cent.

So far, 18,797 samples have been collected from 67 containment zones for testing.

Mathura also reported 12 new cases, Firozabad 11, Mainpuri 8, and Etah six.

Officials said the Covid hospital at the SN Medical College is in the process of installing 10 more ventilators even as city philanthropists have donated more than two dozen air conditioners for the convenience of patients.

Meanwhile, a random audit of coronavirus patients' death reports has revealed that the delay in start of treatment for various reasons was the main cause of high mortality in Agra.

A number of lives perhaps could have been saved if the patients were admitted to hospitals on time and treatment started promptly. But delay was caused by the reluctance of family members of patients to act and delay in testing of samples that allegedly took up to five days, according to some senior doctors.

In some cases, private nursing homes shifted critical patients when things got out of their control, to the Covid hospital.

The state government has stationed Energy Secretary M Devraj as the nodal officer to oversee and coordinate work done by various state agencies to combat the pandemic.