Noida reports first Covid case in months as man tests positive

A resident of Noida in Gautam Buddh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh has tested positive for Covid, in a first case of the infection in Noida after several months, officials said.

The patient is a 54-year-old male who lives in Noida but works for a multinational company in Gurgaon, Gautam Buddh Nagar chief medical officer Dr Sunil Sharma said on Thursday. "His test sample has been sent to Delhi for genome sequencing. The result is awaited," Sharma said.

District surveillance officer and public healthcare expert Dr Amit Kumar said the patient travelled to Nepal earlier this month and also went to work at his Gurgaon office after returning.

"The patient is asymptomatic and went for the Covid-19 test on his own," Kumar said, adding that this is the only confirmed case in the district so far.

CMO Sharma said testing for the virus had come down in the district this year. People can get themselves tested for Covid at primary and community health centres and the district hospital, he added.

The healthcare department, meanwhile, urged residents to follow Covid-appropriate measures amid concerns over the infection spreading once again.

People should wash their hands with soap for a minute, practice social distancing, use alcohol-based sanitisers, and wear face mask when outdoors, among other measures, Kumar said.