Agra, Jul 31 (IANS): Thirty-five new coronavirus cases have been reported in Agra, taking the district's tally to 1,765, including 99 deaths so far, officials said on Friday.

The total samples collected in the district so far total 48,703. The neighbouring district of Mathura reported five new cases, Mainpuri 13, Firozabad 21, and Etah four.

Agra district health officials said that the recovery rate is 80.62 per cent, with 1,423 patients discharged after recovery. Agra now has 86 containment zones.

The Covid-19 task force has scaled up testing along with door-to-door survey in the district. The rapid antigen tests done at over a dozen centres has helped non-Covid patients get prompt treatment at private hospitals.

Home quarantine continues to be an option, but there were a couple of serious cases that needed to be attended to at the Covid hospital in the SN Medical College.

A doctor said the detailed protocol for home isolation is not being seriously observed by some people at their residences. This could complicate treatment. At present, 70-odd patients were in home isolation, who were monitored twice a day by the central command control centre.

Alok Kumar, appointed Agra's Nodal Officer by the state government, visited many parts of the city as well as Fatehpur Sikri on Thursday. He asked doctors at the SN Medical College not to spare any effort to protect the lives of people and give their best.

The SN Medical College will next week begin the human trial of a vaccine after clearance by an ethical committee on Thursday. Volunteers between the age of 18 and 50 will be given the shots after following the protocol. The Medical College would need around 400 volunteers, Medicine Department head Dr Balbir Singh said.