Lucknow: In view of instances of attack on policemen and health workers in the state, the Uttar Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued a directive ordering stern action under the National Security Act (NSA) against those who target police personnel in the state during the coronavirus lockdown.
''The accused will be booked under the NSA’’ a statement issued by the Yogi Adityanath government read. "During the lockdown, strict action will be taken against those who attack the police at any place in the state. They will be booked under the NSA," it said.
The Yogi government further stated that female health staff and women police officials will no longer be engaged for medical service and providing security cover to the members of Islamic religious group Tablighi Jamaat, a day after staff nurses of Ghaziabad-based MMG District Hospital complaint of alleged misbehaviour by some of them, who were lodged in the isolation ward.
As per the statement issued by the state government, only male health staff and policemen will be deployed in the service of the Jamaat members from now. In addition, the Yogi Adityanath government has also decided to book members of the Tablighi Jamaat, who allegedly misbehaved with the female nursing staff at the Ghaziabad hospital, under the National Security Act (NSA).
Earlier, Madhya Pradesh government had also warned of strict action against anyone found attacking the health workers or the policemen. In several parts of the country, the suspected COVID-19 patients along with locals are attacking health workers and policemen who are visiting their areas to collect blood samples for COVID-19 tests.
On Thursday, three people were detained after a group of miscreants pelted stones at officials in Rampur`s Tanda area. This holds significance since the number of COVID-19 cases has risen to 134 in Uttar Pradesh with a total of eight fresh cases reported in Agra and Jaunpur on Friday.
While six cases were found to be positive in Agra, two positive cases were found in Jaunpur. "Six more COVID-19 positive cases have found here. The total number of cases in the district are 18 now," Agra District Magistrate Prabhu Narain Singh said.
"Two more cases have been found to be coronavirus positive in Jaunpur. Now the total positive cases in the district are three," Jaunpur District Magistrate Dinesh Kumar Singh said. The two fresh cases are of those who attended the Tablighi Jamat congregation in New Delhi, he said.
According to officials, the district-wise tally of coronavirus cases in UP is Gautam Budh Nagar (48), Meerut (24), Agra (18), Lucknow (10), Ghaziabad (9), Bareilly (6), Bulandshahr and Jaunpur (3 each), Basti, Varanasi, and Pilibhit (2 each), Ghazipur, Hapur, Baghpat, Shamli, Moradabad, Kanpur, Lakhimpur Kheri (1 each).
Of these 134 cases, 17 have been fully cured and discharged while two have died -- one each in Meerut and Basti.
Principal Secretary (Medical and Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said, "The good thing is that there has been a decrease in the average rate of infection in the state". He said the Health Department has been maintaining an aggressive containment exercise in and around various districts from where positive cases have been reported and this has helped to some extent in containing the spread of the virus.
