To Contain Spread Of Coronavirus, 1,500 Teams Will Conduct Door-to-Door Screening In Noida

New Delhi: Amid the surge in coronavirus cases in Gautam Buddh Nagar, the administration has kick-started a 10-day surveillance campaign from July 2 to 12 to further contain the spread of the highly contagious infection. According to the official statement by the administration, across Noida and Greater Noida, 1500 health teams will be made and each team will constitute of, nurse, physician, lab technician, three civil volunteers and at least one ASHA or other auxiliary health workers, who will be involved in the door-to-door screening of people and based on the symptoms will suggest if they should take the COVID test.

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Gautam Buddh Nagar’s nodal officer for COVID-19 response Narendra Bhushan, Police Commissioner Alok Singh and District Magistrate Suhas L Y launched the campaign.

Speaking to NDTV about the campaign, an official said,

Apart from these 1500 teams, we have made another 40 teams for carrying tests in Gautam Buddh Nagar. The team has been formed to carry 4,000 tests per day. We hope with these steps in the coming few days, Noida will see a surge in cases but the overall aim is to contain the spread as much as possible.

As per the statement, the teams as a part of the surveillance campaign will conduct 3,000 real-time PCR and 1,000 antigen-based tests. Chief Medical Officer Deepak Ohri said testing facilities have been created at primary and community health centres and district hospitals in Bisrakh, Dadri, Bhangel, Badlapur, Jewar and Dankaur.

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The statement further said that apart from this, intensive screening and testing will be done in over 300 containment zones during the campaign. District Magistrate Suhas LY further said that around 600 student volunteers are also participating in awareness campaigns under the drive. He added,

Volunteers from National Service Scheme (NSS), Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, and National Cadet Corps (NCC) are also taking part in this drive. They will be help people aware of the campaign by putting up posters outside the houses of positive patients and their direct contacts.

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According to the state government, Uttar Pradesh reached 24,825 coronavirus cases on July 2. Of which, 735 people have lost their lives due to the virus infection and a total of 17,221 patients have been discharged from hospitals, bringing the recovery rate to 69.36 per cent. The state now has 6,869 active COVID cases, with more than 900 cases being reported from Noida and Ghaziabad alone.

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