The number of active cases dipped below 7,700 in the South Coastal Andhra Pradesh even as one more patient succumbed to coronavirus infection in the region in the last 24 hours ending 9 a.m. on Thursday.
The number of fatalities rose to 1,828 in the region with one death in Nellore district, where 909 people have died of the virus infection toll date.
A day after registering eight deaths, Prakasam district reported zero deaths in the said period. The virus has claimed 919 lives so far in Prakasam district, according to a health bulletin released by the State government.
As many as 577 persons in the region, including 296 in Prakasam district tested positive for the disease in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative tally beyond the 2.49-lakh mark.
However, recoveries continued to outnumber daily infection count as 605 patients—363 in Prakasam district and 242 in Nellore district— recovered from the infection during the period. Recovery rate has improved to 96.19%.
“As many as 10,895 of the 12,096 patients admitted to the Government General Hospital in Ongole so far have been recovered. The GGH has only 264 patients undergoing treatment,” said GGH Superintendent D. Sriramulu.
The paediatrics wing of the hospital has been strengthened as more number of children might get infected in the predicted third wave of the pandemic. The hospital has 1000 beds with oxygen facility. A temporary facility with 100 beds with oxygen facility has also been set up to deal with the rush of patients in need of critical healthcare services, he added.
Black fungus
Referring to the black fungus infection, Mr. Sriramulu said 89 of the 173 patients admitted to the GGH had been cured and 77 patients had undergone surgery.