The Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government appointed senior Indian Administrative Service and Indian Police Service officers to monitor the fight against coronavirus in the three worst-hit districts in the state, PTI reported on Sunday. These include Agra, Meerut and Kanpur.

State Director of Information Shishir Singh said that the decision was taken after coronavirus cases increased in the districts and lockdown rules were violated.

Agra has so far reported the highest number of deaths at 24, with at least 10 in the last one week, according to The Indian Express. Meerut reported 13 deaths, with at least seven patients dying in the last seven days, and Kanpur city has witnessed six deaths. Currently, these districts also have the highest number of active cases – Agra at 406, Kanpur city at 237 and Meerut at 164. There are a total of 1,884 active cases in the state.

Uttar Pradesh has recorded a total of 3,467 cases and 74 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. In the past week, the state recorded 31 deaths.

Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Information) Awanish Awasthi said State Industrial Development Authority Managing Director Anil Garg and Inspector General Deepak Ratan were given the command of the Covid Care monitoring unit in Kanpur. Principal Secretary (Infrastructure) Alok Kumar and Inspector General Vijay Kumar have been posted in Agra. Irrigation Department Principal Secretary T Venkatesh and Inspector General Laxmi Singh will take charge of the monitoring unit in Meerut.

The state government also said that two senior officers from the health department will be posted in each of the three districts. This is in addition to the nodal officers who were earlier appointed to each of the 75 districts.

A statement issued by the Uttar Pradesh government said that the nodal officers in these districts were supposed to send their reports to the government every morning and evening. “The CM [chief minister] has said that the lockdown should be strictly followed in the three districts. In addition, the command for Covid Care has been given to three senior IAS and IPS officers in the three districts.”

Meanwhile, Adityanath said that the state government is committed to bring home stranded migrants, and medical check-up of all workers must be done. Awasthi said that 70,000 people returned to Uttar Pradesh on Sunday in 57 trains, adding that over three lakh people are expected to return in the coming days.

During a review meeting on Sunday, the chief minister also told officials that people who prepare food in community kitchens must be tested on a daily basis, and the kitchens should be sanitised. He also asked officials to encourage the use of the ‘Aayush Kavach COVID’ app, adding that testing should be increased in the state.