Noida: One booked for taking samples illegally; Covid-19 count reaches 470
NOIDA:
Two days after six private laboratories operating in Delhi-NCR were served notices for giving ‘false’ Covid-19 positive reports to eight persons in Gautam Budh Nagar, a person was booked on Monday for illegally collecting samples on the behalf of a Delhi-based private laboratory, district administration officials said.
GB Nagar district magistrate Suhas LY said that during a routine inspection of hospitals, the district medical officials found that one person was collecting nasopharyngeal samples of patients in front of a hospital in Sector 30.
“On inquiry, it was found that he was allegedly working for a New Delhi-based private laboratory. It has been reported that he was collecting samples for Covid-19 tests. He used to travel on a two-wheeler with collection apparatus on it. He was also found flouting bio-medical waste management rules as well as all norms of sample collection for Covid-19 patients,” Suhas said.
The DM further said that an FIR against him has been lodged with Sector 20 police station.
“As per notifications issued by ICMR, only those laboratories are allowed to collect samples, which have valid collection centres in the area. This person was collecting samples in the district without having a valid collection centre. We have also asked the hospitals and health establishments to operate in accordance with bio-medical waste management rules. Stern action will be taken in case of violation,” he said.
Covid count reaches 470
Meanwhile, GB Nagar reported 17 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, taking the tally of positive cases to 470 in the district. However, five patients were discharged after being cured from the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) in Greater Noida, health officials said.
Of the 17 new cases, six patients are from Bhangel and remaining 11 are from different parts of the district.
According to district surveillance officer Dr Sunil Dohre, of 470 positive cases till Monday evening, 299 patients have been discharged from different hospitals. “Seven patients have so far lost their lives and 29 have been cross-notified from other districts and states. As a result, the district now has 164 active cases,” Dohre said.
Giving details of the 29 cross-notified Covid-19 cases, the district surveillance officer said that while 13 of them are from Delhi, one patient each from West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh has also been cross-notified. “While one patient has a duplicate entry in the log, the remaining 13 are from other districts of Uttar Pradesh, including six from Bulanshahr, four from Ghaziabad, two from Hapur and one from Agra,” he said.
Dohre further said that health camps were organised in 12 sensitive places in the district on Sunday, including at Mamura, Nithari, Sarfabad, Harola, sectors 8, 9 and 10. “A total of 673 patients were screened today and 11 of them, who had symptoms of fever, have been referred to the district hospital,” he said.