COVID-19 outbreak: How Maharajganj in Uttar Pradesh became coronavirus-free district

Lucknow, Apr 18: Maharajganj in eastern Uttar Pradesh has successfully fought against the spread of the novel coronavirus outbreak. This district has become the state's second district to be coronavirus- free, officials said on Friday.

Pilibhit was the first district in the state to be coronavirus free district in Uttar Pradesh earlier this week.

The plan to let the district become coronavirus-free involved sealing affected areas, sanitising and tracking the contacts of Tablighi Jamaat members. This strategy became successful after all the six COVID-19 patients in Maharajganj tested negative for the second time.

According to district magistrate Ujjwal Kumar, there are no fresh cases of coronavirus in Maharajganj at present and the reports of 36 family members of the six patients were also tested negative.

To ensure that no other person was infected with coronavirus in the remaining villages, health department teams collected five samples at random from the villages and sent them for testing.

It is reportedly said that the health department and police teams surveyed 7,500 people and screened 40,000.

Also, the villages and markets were sanitised and people were directed to stay home and follow social distancing norms. After Tablighi Jamaat members arrived in Maharajganj by train, officials alerted the Gorakhpur, Kushinagar and Deoria authorities to make a note on the passengers travelled in the same train. All the passengers were tracked and screened but tested negative.