There was no respite for people from COVID-19 in South Coastal Andhra Pradesh as 13 more patients succumbed to the viral disease and 3,200-plus persons got infected in a span of 24 hours.
With this, the active cases rose to a new high of 37,988 in the region in the last 24 hours ending 9 a.m. on Sunday. The toll rose to 1,417 in the region as seven patients in SPSR Nellore district and six in Prakasam district died, according to a health bulletin released by the State government on Sunday night.
The overall tally crossed the 1.95 lakh-mark as 1,628 persons in Prakasam district and 1,593 in SPSR Nellore district tested positive for the disease in the last 24 hours.
Pressure on the health infrastructure continued in the region as the gap between the number of new admissions and recoveries was over 1,500.
As many as 1,188 patients in SPSR Nellore district and 500 patients in Prakasam district were discharged after recovery.
Reviewing the health situation in Ongole, State Energy Minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy wanted the health professionals to contribute their mite to ensure speedy recovery of the patients, and promised to extend all possible assistance from the government side.
The medical officers told him that pressure on the Government General Hospital in Ongole had come down following setting up of temporary beds with oxygen facility.
They wanted the Minister to augment the health infrastructure in the public health centres across the district.
Helpline
In Nellore, District Collector K.V.N.Chakradhar Babu reviewed the health situation and exhorted the patients to seek admission into hospitals or COVID Care Centres only by calling helpline number 104 instead of visiting directly private hospitals.
Noting that a section of the patients approached quacks, he urged the public to pass on information about them to 1077.
There was no oxygen shortage in the district as it received replenishment from RINL(Visakhapatnam) as also from Chennai and Sriperambadur in Tamil Nadu, he said.
The Collector suggested that those requiring oxygen should get themselves into notified hospitals or CCCs. Demand for oxygen supply to individuals and non-notified hospitals would be discouraged, he made it clear.
