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Health

Alarm bells ring again in Agra as Covid cases surge

IANS | April 13, 2021 09:25 AM

AGRA: In view of the surge in Covid-19 cases in the city, the district health department has added more beds to the wards, upped the oxygen supply and streamlined the medical infrastructure in the city.

In the past three days, 351 new Covid-19 cases have been reported here. The number of active cases has climbed to 751. On Sunday, 119 and on Saturday 102 cases were reported.

On Monday alone, 130 fresh cases were reported. The total number of deaths since March 2020 is 182 now.

The total number of samples collected so far is 6, 63, 057. The recovery rate has come down to 91.96 from 98 per cent.

District authorities have already imposed the night curfew and have taken drastic steps to enforce Covid appropriate discipline. A slew of measures have been announced to control the crowd and restrict traffic movement in the city.

"As evening falls, the markets appear deserted. The scare is already there and people are avoiding unnecessary movements, " said Vijay Nagar Colony senior resident Sudhir Gupta.

The vaccination exercise has picked up some momentum, as a result.

The tourism industry is under strain. The night curfew has affected the flow of tourists to the city. During the last lockdown the Taj Mahal remained closed for 188 days.

"This along with suspension of the international flights dented the tourism industry which was trying hard to limp back but the latest surge in Covid-19 cases has again come as a damper and the situation remains uncertain. The lean season for the tourism industry has already begun, " said Rakesh Chauhan, president of the Agra Hotels and Restaurants Association.

Local shoe industry, the petha production, the hundreds of handicrafts shops, the marble inlay workshops are facing an existential crisis.

The wedding season has started on a dismal note. With restrictions on guests in place, thus putting the caterers under acute distress.

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