Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), Nov 19 : In an attempt to check the resurgence of Covid cases, the district health department in Prayagraj has made testing mandatory for the adjoining five houses of a patient. This will be applicable, irrespective of whether the patient has been admitted to a hospital for treatment or is under home isolation. According Dr. Rishi Sahai, nodal chief medical officer, "Once a patient (all genders and ages) tests positive for the Covid-19, health department teams will conduct testing of the patient's family members and those living in the five houses (from all four directions) of the patient's house." He added that this exercise would help the health authorities to contain the spread of Covid-19, and the department would also be able to identify fresh patients and treat them. "We are conducting testing of around 6,000 people every day and efforts are underway to increase testing in the urban, semi-urban and rural areas, even though the caseload in Prayagraj district is less than 1,000 patients. The focus is on those pockets and colonies from where the increasing number of patients have been reported in the recent days," he said. Besides testing, a mass-level awareness campaign on the three safety norms of wearing a mask, maintaining social distance and observing proper hygiene like hand washing, has also been launched in the city. Health department statistics show that 24,094 out of the total 25,395 patients have already been cured and the recovery percentage in the city is 94.87. Health officials said that the city had reported more cases in the past two days. Prayagraj, which is bracing up for the Magh Mela in January, where a congregation of lakhs of devotees will take place, is taking possible steps to keep Covid cases in check. /IANS