COVID-19 pandemic in Uttar Pradesh
COVID-19 Pandemic spread to Uttar Pradesh in March 2020. While the World Health Organization praised the UP government for its contact tracing efforts, there were several other issues in its management of the pandemic, including under reportage of cases by the government, vaccine shortages and dismal conditions of COVID-19 hospitals. Background. Uttar Pradesh is India's most populated state, with 240 million inhabitants. The 17th-century Taj Mahal in Uttar Pradesh is the most popular monument in India, attracting over 7 million visitors per year. Uttar Pradesh has a large public as well as private  healthcare infrastructure. Although an extensive network of public and private sector healthcare providers has been built, the available health infrastructure is inadequate to meet the demand for health services in the state. Response. State Government Response. Public Health Strategy. 30 April 2020 - UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also directed officials to add 52,000 additional beds in the COVID-19 hospitals in the state. Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Avanish Awasthi told reporters on Wednesday that while 17,000 beds would be added by the Health Department, 35,000 beds would be added by the Medical Educational Department. "The Health Department will increase 10,000  beds in level one, 5,000 beds in level two (with oxygen) and 2,000 beds in level three (with ventilator). The Medical Education Department will increase 20,000 beds in level one, 10,000 beds in level two and 5,000 beds in level three," he said. Containment and Quarantine strategy. 17 March - The Uttar Pradesh government extended the closure of all educational institutions, cinemas, shopping malls, swimming pool, gyms, multiplexes and tourists places in the state till April 2. Slaughterhouses in state were ordered to be closed from 22 to 24 March. 22 March - Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced the lockdown of fifteen  districts in state, from 22 to 25 March, including Noida, Ghaziabad, Agra, Aligarh, Allahabad, Kanpur, Varanasi, Bareilly, Lucknow, Saharanpur, Meerut, Lakhimpur, Azamgarh, Firozabad, Gorakhpur and others. 26 May - The Uttar Pradesh government has decided that arriving flight passengers will have to follow 14-day quarantine at their own homes. On sixth day of home quarantine, flyers can get themselves tested and end the quarantine. Business travellers with return ticket within 6 days will be exempt but will not be allowed to enter containment zones. Public Awareness. 17 March - District magistrates were instructed to spread awareness through posters and banners on  the viral disease. Additionally, an appeal was made to religious leaders to avoid crowding in temples, mosques, gurudwaras and churches. Unlock 1.0. June 1 - The Government of UP released a new order that allowed the following to open up: The lockdown will remain in place in the state till June 30, shopping malls, religious places and hotels and restaurants will open from June 8. The decision on reopening schools and colleges will be taken in July. Migrant workers crisis. Transportation to home state. On 28 March, the Uttar Pradesh government arranged for 1,000 buses to ferry migrant labourers who were  stranded on the border districts owing to a countrywide lockdown without consulting Delhi State Government that resulted in huge chaos on border. Officials of the Transport Department, bus drivers and conductors were contacted on Friday night to help the people who were stranded in Noida, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr and Aligarh, among other places. On 25 April, a day after the Yogi Adityanath government announced that it would bring back UP labourers stranded in other states, the first batch of 2,224 workers, who had completed quarantine period of two weeks in Haryana, were brought back to the state in the first phase  of the exercise on Saturday. On 5 May the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish K Awasthi informed that over 65000 workers have been brought back from different states. He said that anyone from another state who is stranded in UP can register on 'Jansunwai' portal to seek help. “People from UP stranded in other states can get themselves registered” On 7 May the Additional Chief Secretary informed that around 51,371 had reached UP so far. “Today 43 trains have arrived in the state carrying migrant laborers. With the help of these trains, 51,371 workers arrived from different states. Today, 13  more trains will come before 12 pm, about 15,500-15,600 laborers will come. We have given permission for about 43 trains,” These 43 trains arrived at stations such as Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Jaunpur, Gorakhpur, Pratapgarh, Rae Bareli, Kannauj, Banda, Azamgarh, Barabanki, Sitapur and Unnao. There were 51,371 workers and labourers on these 43 trains. On 9 May the Additional Chief Secretary informed that so far, 97 trains carrying migrant workers have entered into Uttar Pradesh from other states and 17 more trains will arrive by evening today. Government has allowed plying of 98 more trains which will arrive tomorrow and  day after tomorrow. An Air India Express flight also brought back 182 Indians to Lucknow from Sharjah, UAE. By 11 May, 184 trains had brought 2.26 lakh migrant workers from other states. 55 more trains will arrive in Uttar Pradesh today. Around 1 lakh migrant workers also returned by their own conveyance. On 12 May the Additional Chief Secretary informed that so far, 233 trains had brought 281,408 migrant workers to the state. Today 13 trains have arrived till now and more will come in the coming days. All the passengers will be screened and medical checkups will be conducted . On 14 May it was reported that so far, 318 'Shramik Special' trains have brought back 384,260 people to Uttar Pradesh. 67 more special trains will arrive in the state today. Permission has been granted for plying of 174 more such trains. Relief and essentials. On 21 March, CM Yogi Adityanath announced that the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to give ₹1,000 (US$14) to all daily wage laborers affected due to coronavirus in the state. On 1 May, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath directed that any worker or labourer of UP who is stranded in another state due  to lockdown, can use his/her ration card number & avail its benefits there. Those who do not have a ration card, then under State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), food packets are being provided. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath transferred Rs 225.39 Crores to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) beneficiaries through direct bank transfer. The state government has instructed to provide Rs 1000 to migrant workers who have been asked to remain in home quarantine after their return from other states. On 25 May the CM directed that the migration commission that is being constituted will be named  Kaamgar, Shramik (Seva Ayojan and Rojgaar) Kalyan Ayog, to employ migrant workers/labourers. Under this commission, social security will be guaranteed to workers/labourers by providing employment to them. Legal Actions. The Uttar Pradesh government has said that Perpetrators be charged under the stringent National Security Act, Epidemic Act and the Disaster Management Act for resorting to violence and preventing the health and police officials from doing their duty. The state government has decided to use the UP Recovery of Public and Private Property Ordinance, 2020 against those indulging in violence. Following several attacks on doctors and other health officials , and subsequent demands from ICMR and Resident Doctors Association, the Union Government brought an ordinance to amend The Epidemic Diseases Act. Under it, the guilty can be sent to jail for three months to five years, with a fine of Rs.50,000 to Rs.2 lakh. However, if there is grievous injury then the guilty could be sent to jail for six months to seven years and fined Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh. More than 8000 people have been fined in the state till date for violation of social distancing norms and for not wearing masks. Impact. Environment. Due to  lower pollution levels in state during the imposition of lockdown, Himalayan range became visible from Saharanpur. Education. Since the closure of educational institutions in lockdown, alternate education strategies like online classes have been adopted in urban areas. While lakhs of children living in villages are deprived of the alternative. Social. Violence against medical staff and police. Medical staff and police were attacked by villagers while trying to enforce lockdown in Meerut and Muzaffarnagar. In Moradabad, a mob tried to stop a medical team from taking a coronavirus-infected man into isolation by pelting stones at the ambulance while damaging a  police vehicle. Five of the seventeen arrested stone pelters tested positive in COVID-19 tests. Locals in Aligarh also pelted stones at police as they tried to enforce lockdown, while in Bahraich people attached police team for refusing to offer namaz in mosque. Healthcare workers and police were attacked and stone pelted in Kanpur when nine members of a family who had been in close contact with a coronavirus positive patient were being taken to a quarantine facility. Hospital care crisis. International news sources reported many stories of deaths and families damaged by the second wave of COVID-19 in Uttar Pradesh , as infections increased during 2021. Retired judge Ramesh Chandra told BBC that "for years, I have despaired at the poor medical facilities in the state - it's where my ancestral village is located and I know the struggles of finding a doctor or an ambulance even in normal times.". Testing statistics. Testing Costs. On 19 June 2020, the Uttar Pradesh government announced that it has fixed the maximum price for COVID-19 tests at ₹2,500. "The price has been fixed in two categories. The first one relates to the corona testing at private or corporate hospitals. In this case, the  charges will not be more than ₹2,000 per person. The same applies to a situation where these hospitals tie up with private labs. The second category is that of private pathology or diagnostic labs where the rate cannot exceed ₹2,500," a government spokesperson said. Testing Facilities. Currently there are 121 government laboratories conducting COVID-19 Testing. Government has also permitted testing in 44 privately operated labs.