The surge in COVID-19 cases continues in Guntur, and in the biggest single-day spike, the district recorded 946 positive cases in the last 24 hours ending Thursday morning. Guntur Municipal Corporation recorded 395 cases on a single day. With the addition of these cases, the total number of COVID-19 positive cases touched 13,762 in the district, 16 weeks after the first case was reported.
The district administration has scaled up testing facilities and so far tested 1.39 lakh people. In addition to the RT-PCR test, TrueNAT and Rapid Antigen tests are being done at government hospitals, Triage centres and Primary Health Centres. Thanks to wide publicity on testing from the Medical and Health department, people have started to show up voluntarily for testing at the nine Triage centres across the city.
Quarantine norms
Meanwhile, the district administration has issued fresh guidelines for home quarantine.
All those asymptomatic persons diagnosed as COVID-19 positive, should stay in their homes for a period of 14 days and take directions from the doctors. The local ANM or health care provider would provide support. Those who develop symptoms during the home quarantine period should call COVID control room at 0863-2271492 .
The State government also made it clear that all Arogyasri and non-Arogyasri network hospitals should provide medical care free of cost to COVID positive persons.
In Guntur, NRI General Hospital, Katuri Medical Hospital, Lalitha Superspeciality Hospital, DVC Hospital have been notified as COVID-19 line hospitals. These hospitals can admit patients only if the District Medical and Health Officer referred it to them and later and they would be provided with a CM Camp Office card by the district Arogyasri coordinator. The State government would reimburse the treatment costs specified under G.O Ms no 77, 78.
“We are making it very clear that hospitals should not charge any fees from the patients. We are also inviting non-Arogyasri hospitals to register for COVID treatment and no hospital, other than COVID notified hospitals, shall treat people with COVID symptoms.,’’ said Special Officer, Principal Secretary, B. Rajasekhar.
