Agra, Aug 13 (IANS): With 32 fresh cases the Covid-19 tally in Agra has gone upto 2,209 as the recovery rate in this Uttar Pradesh district continued to improve and was around 80 per cent even as testing has gone up by over 1,000 cases each day.

The number of active cases now is 338, Health department officials said. The total number of samples tested exceeds 70,000.

Till about a month ago, only around 500 samples were being tested daily. Now the number has gone up between 1,500 to 1,800. This has naturally spiked the number of cases. The number of containment zones in Agra is now 153.

While the urban segments have reported 80 per cent of the cases, the rural parts of the district have kept it low. A high degree of awareness and better implementation of guidelines relating to social distancing have been helpful in insulating the vast rural hinterland from the infection. The health department has decided to go for random sampling in rural areas to break the chain of infection.

Mathura reported 34, Mainpuri 22 and Firozabad 16 cases in the past 24 hours.

The continued increase in the number of cases in August has brought pressure on the state government's health infrastructure. The private medical services, nursing homes, have been the target of unfair practices and overcharging.

Uncertainty still looms large on whether schools would be reopened from September 1.

The hotels owners in the Taj City and the district have worked out a plan to reopen from September. A few have already opened doors and are accepting bookings for the coming tourist season. The tourism industry has been demanding reopening of the Taj Mahal and other monuments as well.