Agra, Jul 15 (IANS): The collective efforts of the state health apparatus and private medical facilities, plus the sustained campaign by dozens of voluntary groups in Agra, have helped stabilise the average number of fresh cases to around 12 a day.

Compared to April, undoubtedly, the state of preparedness and the promptness of response by the district administration has seen a marked improvement. Doctors at the Covid-19 special ward at the S.N. Medical College, feel confident with experience, as a large number of critical cases transferred by private nursing homes are being attended to with success. The Yogi government has been appointing senior IAS bureaucrats as nodal officers to coordinate work being done by various state government departments. Decision-making at the local level has helped save time and given a direction, health activists say.

IMA Secretary Dr Sanjay Chaturvedi told IANS: "Compared to April, Agra was definitely in a much better state today, in terms of preparedness, facilities, action taken and interaction among stake-holders.

But it is too early to claim any success or breakthrough in the battle to combat Covid-19, as 16 fresh cases were reported in the last 24 hours. District Magistrate P.N. Singh said there were 87 containment zones, the recovery rate was 81.71. The total number now is 1,427. 1,166 have recovered and discharged. The number of deaths so far is 93. The month of June saw 54 deaths.

The posh colonies of Kamla Nagar and Balkeshwar have reported more than 150 cases in the last couple of days.

District authorities have sealed the Rajasthan and MP borders to prevent movement after there was an alarming surge in cases in Bharatpur and Gwalior.

In neighbouring Mathura district 19 fresh cases were reported, Firozabad 7 including an MLA, Mainpuri 16, Kasganj 17.