Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh reported 225 active COVID-19 cases as three new infections emerged in Lucknow within 24 hours, exposing gaps in containment efforts. The capital's latest patients, a 61-year-old woman from Sadar Bazaar, a 22-year-old from Gomti Nagar, and a 49-year-old resident of Vishwas Khand, both the patients had no travel history, suggesting unchecked community transmission.
All patients presented with breathing difficulties, fever, and cold like symptoms before testing positive at private facilities. With 7 active cases now in Lucknow and 166 in Gautam Buddh Nagar alone, health experts question official claims of control. "The absence of travel links in multiple cases indicates we're missing transmission chains," warned a government hospital virologist.

Despite the surge, CMO Dr. NB Singh maintained there's "no need for panic," even as NCR districts account for 86% of active cases. The state's home isolation strategy faces scrutiny after similar clusters in Maharashtra and Kerala overwhelmed healthcare systems last month.