The number of COVID-19 cases crossed the 9,000 mark in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday with 367 fresh infections being reported in last 24 hours, while the death toll rose by 15 to 245. The total number of COVID-19 cases went up to 9,237, principal secretary of health Amit Mohan Prasad said. The number of those recovered and discharged from hospitals stood at 5,648, while 257 people died due to the virus, Prasad said.
He said the tracking of migrant labourers returning to the state has been continuing with the help of ASHA workers who have till now tracked over 12 lakh such people. Prasad appealed to the aged, pregnant women and those having morbidity to maintain strict social distancing. Prasad said the capacity for sampling and testing was being increased continuously. On Wednesday, 10,563 samples were tested for coronavirus in various laboratories of the state, he said, adding, "It is our effort to further increase this number to 15,000 by June 15."According to a health department bulletin, three deaths each were reported from Meerut and Firozabad, two each from Agra, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr and one each from Azamgarh, Pratapgarh and Balrampur in the last 24 hours.