A 54-year-old man in Noida has tested positive for Covid-19, the first case of the infection reported in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddh Nagar district after several months. The man, who had recently travelled to Nepal, also went to his office in Gurugram after returning, officials said.
The new case comes amid a surge in Covid-19 infections across India, with 640 fresh cases reported on Friday. The number of active cases in the country has also marginally risen to 2,997.
According to Noida’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Sunil Sharma, the infected man lives in Noida but works at a multinational company in Gurugram. His test sample has been sent for genome sequencing to determine which variant he contracted.
“The patient is asymptomatic and went for the COVID-19 test on his own,” said District Surveillance Officer Dr Amit Kumar, adding that this was the only confirmed case in Gautam Buddh Nagar so far.
With new and more transmissible variants like Omicron sub-variant BN.1 spreading globally, experts have advised caution, especially for those with comorbidities. They have urged people to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour like masking and social distancing.
Authorities in Noida have also ramped up testing facilities and advised residents to get themselves tested if symptomatic. The health department has asked people to remain vigilant amid concerns over Covid-19 infections rising again.
India’s Covid tally currently stands at 4.5 crore, including over 5.3 lakh deaths. But the recovery rate remains high at 98.81%, with over 4.4 crore people having recovered from the disease so far.
