Agra, Jul 27 (IANS): Twenty-seven more novel coronavirus cases were reported in Agra in the last 24-hour cycle, taking the active cases in the district to 197, health officials said on Monday.
Mathura district reported 35 new cases, Mainpuri 11, Etah nine, Kasganj eight, and Firozabad six cases in the last 24 hours.
Health officials said the death toll in Agra remains 97. Of the total 1,652 cases reported so far in the district, 1,352 have recovered.
The number of containment zones has gone up to 102 compared with 52 in early July.
The facility of rapid antigen tests has been extended to all areas. Of the 4,700 tests done, only 14 were found corona positive on Sunday. As many as 74 health teams surveyed 4,664 households and checked 19,412 persons for their health status.
The district administration has been making efforts to contain the infection, but the number of new cases has not gone down in July. Luckily, the mortality rate has been under check, while the recovery rate continues to remain above 80 per cent.
Doctors at the SN Medical College, led by its Principal Dr Sanjay Kala, who was called from Kanpur, have been doing exceptional work, successfully treating critical patients on ventilators.
"Usually private hospitals refer patients in a serious condition to the college's hospital, which has highly specialised infrastructure and competent practitioners, who do their best to save precious lives," a junior doctor at the emergency ward said.
A private medical practitioner, Dr Harendra Gupta, said health facilities in the city have been streamlined and Covid Warriors are now better placed to handle the situation.
The IMA members too are actively involved in strategising and providing valuable inputs to the district task force. IMA Secretary Dr Sanjay Chaturvedi said: "Tele-medicine consultations and use of social media have helped in a big way."
Senior advocate Vivek Sarabhoy, who runs Covid Agra Help Group, said the organisation's volunteers have been providing not only food, ration, and medicines but helping with blood plasma donations whenever required.
Meanwhile, the first Covid-19 patient who received plasma therapy at the SN Medical College has fully recovered and returned home.
The 55-hour weekend lockdown imposed in Agra ended in the early hours on Monday, bringing the hustle and bustle back to the markets.