Timely action kept coronavirus number down: Yogi Adityanath

Claiming that timely action by his government kept the number of coronavirus infections down, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said despite higher estimates by experts, the state has only around 3,000 active cases now.

"The state has reported around 8,000 cases so far. Of these, around 5,000 people have recovered and gone home, leaving behind about 3,000 active cases," the CM told reporters when asked that some experts had projected that there could be 65,000 to 70,000 cases during the peak period in the state.

He said alertness and awareness about the pandemic has kept the figures down. "It's all about management. In India in general and in Uttar Pradesh too, timely steps were taken to keep the cases low," he claimed, adding that the lockdown decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has paid dividends.

To substantiate his assertion, Adityanath said the virus struck both India and the United States at around the same time and cited the number of cases and the death toll in both countries to drive home his point.

Asked to comment on the opposition criticism that much needed to be done in the state to contain the virus and to provide help to affected people, the chief minister said, "They are not aware of the ground realities and are discussing the pandemic sitting in their air-conditioned drawing rooms."

On whether the migrant workers returning to UP from COVID-affected areas would not cause the spread of the virus, he said, "We have kept in mind that some 32 lakh migrant labourers have returned. We have arranged their quarantine, food and lodging so that they do not mingle among the masses before being declared COVID negative by health workers."

The chief minister said the virus testing capacity has been increased to 15,000 samples a day and by the end of this month, it will be 20,000 samples a daily.

"Our focus now is on the revival of economic activities, which have already started in the countryside through MSME units and MGNREGA schemes," he said, adding that skill mapping of workers was going to provide them employment.

Another opportunity that the state has got is to strengthen its health system, he added.