Uttar Pradesh: Hotels in each district to turn COVID care centre for asymptomatic patients

As Uttar Pradesh continues to reel under Coronavirus crisis, Principal Health Secretary Amit Mohan Prasad on Saturday directed the district collectors to transform at least one hotel in each district of UP into a COVID care centre for asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients.

In his letter to district collectors, Prasad said that the patients will have to pay for their stay at these centres. The charge for stay at these centres cannot exceed Rs 2,000 per day for double occupancy rooms and Rs 1,500 for single occupancy rooms.

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The letter stated that some patients with very mild or no symptoms are not willing to get admitted to COVID Care Centres due to lack of adequate facilities and try to hide their disease. The Uttar Pradesh government has therefore introduced a new system for treating Coronavirus patients who prefer better facilities and are able to bear the expenses.

"After due consideration, the government has decided to introduce L-1 plus level of system for medical treatment of those patients who are without symptoms and who want better facilities and have the ability to spend for these facilities. Under this arrangement, a hotel in the districts will be operated by the district administration as a COVID Care Center," it read.

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Coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh reported 24 more deaths due to coronavirus in the past 24 hours, raising the toll to 1,108, while the infection count reached 47,036 with 1,673 fresh cases, an official said on Saturday.

The active COVID-19 cases in the state now stand at 17,264, while 28,664 patients have recovered so far, Additional Chief Secretary, Medical and Health, Amit Mohan Prasad said. A total of 46,769 tests for COVD-19 were done in the state on Friday, he said. Overall 14.26 lakh tests have been done, he added.

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(With inputs from agencies)