The COVID-19 positivity rate in the district is currently hovering around 1%. It has not yet come down to zero till date, as it had happened after the first wave, and still the daily cases are oscillating between 30 and 60 cases. But experts say that the possibility of a third is coming down, but not ruled out.
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According to the experts, the district is now entering the most critical phase with the festival season around. “This is the festival period and we have festivals of mass gathering coming up such as the Dasara, Deepavali and Christmas. The scenario is topped up with the marriage season and the winter setting in. If we can bring down the positivity rate or at least see that the present level is maintained, then we can say that the impending third wave is averted. That is why we cannot rule out the possibility of the third wave, till the festive season is over,” said District COVID Special Officer and Principal of Andhra Medical College P.V. Sudhakar.
District Collector A. Mallikarjuna was also of the similar opinion. “We cannot rule out the occurrence of a third wave, but four aspects such as vaccination, awareness, preparedness and herd immunity, might be the negating factors. We have already vaccinated about 41 lakh people in the district, which includes 13 lakh who have taken both the doses. Our target is to complete vaccination for all the eligible people above 18 years before December,” he said.
“Vaccination is going on in full swing. On Thursday, we were able to deliver over 1.3 lakh jabs and on Friday we shall cross the one-lakh mark, with the help of the special drives. For the areas in Visakha Agency, we have already deputed three ‘Tika Express’ special vans to complete the vaccination process,” said Dr. Mallikarjuna.
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To boost up the testing facility, two RT-PCR labs have been set up in Anakapalle and Narsipatnam. “The labs are ready and both will deliver results as per the gold standards. We are awaiting the approval of NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) to get them operational,” said the District Collector.
Each of the laboratories can conduct at least 1,000 tests per day and this apart the district has DRDL at KGH, which can perform over 5,000 tests per day. There are about five private laboratories with RT-PCR facilities in the district, apart from TrueNat and Rapid Antigen test kits.
Coming to bed strength and oxygen supply, Dr. Mallikarjuna said that all the 7,500 beds in 74 hospitals, including in the private sector, have been oxygenated and the district administration has purchased 3,000 D-Type oxygen cylinders and 2,200 oxygen concentrators. “This apart, we now have 20 oxygen generation plants and have 200 special beds for children, with some of them equipped with paediatric ventilators,” he said.
Keeping the possible third wave in mind and festive season, the district administration will be enforcing ‘no mask-no entry’ at RK Beach.
In a day or two the order will be passed and people will not be allowed into RK Beach or any of the beaches without mask.
“We already imposing fine of ₹100 on individual and ₹1,000 on establishments, if people are seen without masks at any public place and this will be strictly followed,” said the District Collector.
43 new cases
The district recorded 43 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours ending Friday morning, taking the cumulative tally to 1,57,458. No COVID-19 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, hence the death toll stands at 1,090. Forty-one persons recovered from the virus. The number of recoveries has increased to 1,55,529 and active cases stand at 839.