'5 labs for testing Coronavirus have been set up in Uttar Pradesh': Yogi Adityanath

A day after he announced the closure of educational institutes amid increasing cases of Coronavirus, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath informed on Saturday, that five laboratories have been set up with the help of Central government for testing Coronavirus patients in UP.

"With assistance from the central government, we have set up five laboratories to provide the facility of sample checking of coronavirus cases in the state. King George's Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI), Lucknow, Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College, Gorakhpur, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, and one in Aligarh," said Adityanath.

CM Yogi added that 11 people have tested positive for Coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh, out of which, seven are reported from Agra, two from Ghaziabad and one from Noida and Lucknow each. While 10 patients are being treated in Delhi's Safdarjung hospital, one is admitted in Lucknow's KGMU.

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'No need to panic'

Speaking about the preparedness and preventive measures adopted by the State government to combat COVID-19, Yogi Adityanath said that there is no need to panic, as the government has issued an advisory to people to take necessary precautions.

"A total of 1268 isolation beds are available in private and government hospitals across the state. I visited Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) district hospital and checked the facilities available in isolation wards of the hospital. We are taking all the necessary actions to deal with it," the Chief Minister said. 

Earlier on Friday, CM Yogi Adityanath ordered the closure of all schools, colleges, technical and vocational education institutes Uttar Pradesh till March 22.

READ | Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Lists Steps To Combat COVID-19; Schools, Colleges Shut Till March 22

Coronavirus outbreak

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Saturday, that the total number of positive cases of COVID-19 cases in India has risen to 84 with two fatalities reported in the country so far. Coronavirus, which was first reported in China's Wuhan city in December 2019, has so far spread to more than 118 countries, infecting over 1,20,000 people.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Coronavirus a pandemic and Europe as the epicentre of the disease after more cases and deaths were reported from the continent than the rest of the world combined, apart from China.

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(with inputs from ANI)