The hub of commercial crops and trading, Guntur has now emerged as a hub of COVID-19 infections bringing to a halt all the activity, though small quantities of chilli are being traded in villages. The absence of transport during the lockdown meant that farmers could not bring their produce to the towns and sell them in the market yards.
The day Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the nation-wide lockdown, the first COVID-19 positive case was identified in the city. A 52-year-old man, who took part in the Delhi religious congregation, tested positive. A massive effort to trace his primary and secondary contacts began and Mangaldas Nagar was declared as the first red zone in the district.
Till Friday morning, 195 positive cases were reported in the district, 120 of them from the city. Mangaldas Nagar, Anandapet, Kummaribazaar, Butchaiah Thota, Srinivasarao Thota, Koretipadu and Chaintaynapuri Colony have emerged as the hotspots. In Narasaraopet, there were 20 cases, but surprisingly, they were not traced to Delhi returnees.
14 red zones
As on Thursday, 5,367 samples were tested out of which 5,190 turned negative. Fourteen red zones in the city were sealed off and essential supplies are being sent to the residents.
The local administration has moved those who tested positive to isolation centres. The 500-bed NRI Hospital has been identified as a COVID-19 isolation centre along with the Government General Hospital, Guntur, Katuri Medical College, Lalitha Super Speciality Hospital and Ramesh Hospitals.
The lockdown is among the harshest in the State with the police seizing 5,000 vehicles.
Tough time ahead
Collector I. Samuel Ananda Kumar said there were arrangements to accommodate 5,000 people. The district has 400 ICU beds and 227 ventilators, and 82 hospitals under Arogyasri Trust.
The next big task is to move the primary and secondary contacts to quarantine centres. So far, the local administration has identified 37 quarantine centres. About 1,700 people were housed there.
The challenges are many and in the weeks to come, there might be more cases and stricter restrictions in place.
