Lucknow, July 16: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials on Thursday to prepare a concerted strategy for effectively checking the spread of COVID-19 and communicable diseases.

In a meeting with senior officials, the chief minister also called for daily review of the prevailing situation by the nodal officers appointed in different districts, according to an official statement. Also Read | Delhi Police Rebut Report Claiming 'Resentment in Hindus' on Arrests in Connection With Northeast Delhi Riots, Call it 'Misleading'.

He stressed that special cleanliness and sanitisation drives should be carried out across districts, and asked officials to ensure proper medical screening and supply of clean potable water. He directed officials to prepare a strategy by establishing coordination between different departments and to ensure its implementation for effectively checking COVID-19 and communicable diseases. Also Read | Sushant Singh Rajput Death Case: Amit Shah Forwards Letter Seeking CBI Probe to Concerned Ministry.

Expressing satisfaction that the COVID-19 testing capacity in the state has risen to 48,000 per day, the chief minister said it should be further enhanced to 50,000 per day. He said 30,000-35,000 tests should be done through RT-PCR, 2,000-2,500  through truenet machines and 20,000-25,000 through rapid antigen process every day.

The chief minister said there was a need for maintaining alertness in Jhansi, Varanasi, Lucknow, Kanpur city and Prayagraj and taking effective measures for the control of COVID-19 in these districts. He directed for taking all necessary precautions for keeping the police personnel free of infection.

He said authorities can consider taking the help of home guards, Prantiya Raksha Dal (PRD) jawans and NCC cadets for assisting the police in COVID-19 containment zones.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)