Agra, Jun 23 (IANS): The COVID-19 deaths continue to rise unabated in Agra, touching 79, even as health workers are leaving no stone unturned in the fight against the pandemic.

According to the health officials, for the past several days, the district has been reporting two COVID-19 deaths daily. Till Tuesday morning the toll touched 79, as two senior citizens succumbed to the contagion.

In a large number of cases, patients admitted to the Covid hospital in their critical phase collapsed within two days, a random audit of death figures revealed.

With eight new cases, the cumulative COVID-19 count in Agra has climbed to 1,147. So far, 953 people have been discharged after recovery. The number of active cases was 116, officials said.

Health authorities said that apparently a large chunk of deaths due to the coronavirus was the result of delay in admitting patients to hospitals for treatment.

Officials on Tuesday morning indicated a shift in their strategy with increased participation of the private medical infrastructure which many thought was the need of the hour.

"The patients should be tested fast and treated at the earliest," a doctor said.