LUCKNOW: UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday escalated the precautionary steps to arrest the spread of coronavirus asking the officials to identify people who entered UP on or after March 1 and get them undergo a medical checkup for a potential infection.

Earlier on Saturday, after an influx of migrants coming to their native places, the CM had instructed to put all who have arrived after the lockdown under compulsory quarantine. Over 60,000 villages heads have been approached since Friday evening with an instruction to keep the migrants who have entered their respective village in the past few days, under quarantine at special camps.

“About one lakh people have entered the state in past three days. We are expecting at least another 2 lakh or so reaching their hometowns and villages in a day. The CM has said that officials should collect their details like contact numbers, names and addresses and make the list available with the district administration and agriculture production commissioner. These people should be kept under surveillance and put under compulsory quarantine,” an official said.

On Sunday, the government decided to perform medical test on all those who have entered the state after March 1. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting called by the CM at his official residence to assess the prevailing situation even as the tally of corona infected people touched 70. The 21-day nationwide lockdown which was announced by PM Narendra Modi came into force from March 25.

UP government move comes a day after it deployed 1000 buses to ferry laborers and other migrants who were forced to leave Delhi and Noida following closure of factories due to the lockdown.

Confirming the development to TOI, Principal secretary, health, Amit Mohan Prasad said that the people who entered UP on or after March 1 would be kept under surveillance through various sources and be subjected to medical check-up for Corona threat.

According to a senior government official present at the meeting, the CM fixed the date limit after learning that more than 1 lakh migrants may have entered UP in the last few days following the lock down forcing laborers and other workers to return to their homes.

Officials said that the CM fixed the responsibility on the district authorities to track down such people who arrived in their respective districts on or after March 1 and their medical test done. Prasad said that the state government have sought help of gram pradhans to get the input about those who entered their respective villages after March 1. Officials said that now on the migrants brought from outside the state would first be taken to district headquarters where people would under thermal imaging for a potential Corona infection.

“In case of any doubt, the people are made to undergo a compulsory medical examination and get them quarantined for a period of 14 days,” he said, adding that the migrants who reached UP should be made to undergo a 14 day health protocol envisaging close observation.

“We cannot compromise with the health of the people at this point of crisis,” Yogi told the officials, comprising heads of the 11 committees which were constituted by the state government to work in different fields to check the spread of Corona virus. The state government also decided to increase the number of nodal officers -- who were made in charge of various states including Delhi and Mumbai to coordinate with their counterparts to help people stuck in the wake of nationwide lock down – from 12 to 16.

The CM also asked the officials to ensure that laborers and employee of the factories get their due salaries during the lock down period. The step comes days after Yogi announced a financial assistance of Rs 1000 to daily wage laborers. The CM also appealed the landlords not to take monthly rent from the laborers and other low wage employee.

The CM also directed the officials that power and water supply should not be snapped in case of pending bills electricity or water bill payments and the two key necessities be provided round the clock. Yogi also directed the DMs to prepare the list of cost of essential items and launch a crack down and register an FIR in case of hoarding.

