The death toll due to COVID-19 in Meerut has reached 26 after the death of a patient at the Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College Hospital on Saturday while the number of Coronavirus positive cases in the district stands at 411.

Meerut has witnessed an alarming 6.3% death rate which is much higher than the national figure of approximately 3%.

The deceased patient was brought to the LLRM Medical College Hospital on Friday with symptoms of Corona, like a problem in breathing. He was immediately admitted to the COVID ward of the hospital and doctors started his treatment. But he could not survive and passed away on Saturday while his COVID test report came after his death declaring him as a positive.

Confirming the death, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Rajkumar said that so far 26 COVID patients have passed away while the confirmed cases are 411 in the district.

On Friday night 11 more samples had tested positive of COVID taking the figure to 411 in Meerut. While making an announcement in this regard, the health department informed that of these 11 cases 9 are females including a year-old child. All these 11 cases are from the contact chain of a COVID patient who was from their family. These family members of the COVID positive were quarantined and their samples were collected for testing.

However, a fairly good recovery of patients has also been reported from here. Till now, 298 out of the total COVID patients have been discharged upon recovery.

Similarly in Muzaffarnagar district, 12 new COVID cases were discovered on Friday of which 11 were from a single-family. A member of this family had tested positive for Corona earlier. Three days back he died during the treatment. All these 11 positive persons had come in contact with the deceased.

Muzaffarnagar district was declared COVID-free two weeks back after its last COVID patient was discharged but the happiness of the officials was short-lived as barely after four days cases were reported due to the arrival of migrant labourers from different parts of the country.

Presently in Muzaffarnagar district, a total of 73 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded with one death. Meanwhile, 25 patients have been discharged after being cured. “We now have 47 active cases and all are under treatment,” said Dr Vineet Kaushik of Muzaffarnagar District Hospital admitting that COVID cases resurfaced in the district after the arrival of migrant labourers.

In fact, other districts of the region like Saharanpur, Hapur, Bulandshahr, and Meerut have also witnessed more COVID cases due to the arrival of migrant labourers. In Meerut, out of the 11 new cases of COVID discovered on Friday, one is a migrant labourer, a female who had travelled from Dehradun.