COVID-19 | Toll mounts to 45 in Prakasam, high-risk patients to be segregated

Nellore reports 122 cases; stringent lockdown norms to be implemented from today

Taking no chances: A ‘Sanjeevini’ vehicle being sanitised after two health workers tested positive in Ongole on Thursday.

Three more patients have died of coronavirus in Prakasam district, taking the toll to 45, a health bulletin released by the government said here on Thursday. However, Nellore district has not reported any death during the the last 24 hours.

The Nellore district, however, reported 122 positive cases while the same for Prakasam has been put at 140. With the new cases, the tally of Nellore and Prakasam districts have gone up to 3,119 and 2,946 respectively, the health officials said.

As may as 210 patients—120 in Nellore and 90 in Prakasam —have been discharged from hospitals during the period.

“Except for 33 patients who were in a critical condition, the condition of other patients remained stable,” Nellore Collector K.V.N.Chakradhara Babu told the media here on Thursday.

With the sharp rise in the COVID-19 cases, stringent lockdown norms would be implemented for a week, beginning Friday in Nellore city, Gudur, Atmakur and Podalakur, he said.

Meanwhile, Prakasam Collector P. Bhaskar reviewed the health situation in Ongole and instructed the doctors to ensure that the virus did not spread at the community level.

“High risk patients with comorbidity conditions should be segregated and provided treatment separately,” he said.

Mobile testing facility hit

The operation of ‘Sanjeevini’, mobile testing facility, was suspended on Thursday, after two health professionals were tested positive for the virus. As new cases were reported from remote villages following the influx of migrants from high-risk States, two new containment zones were declared, taking the number of very active clusters to 29, while the number of active clusters remains at 136.

Colleges made COVID centres

The district administration has converted the IIIT, Rise College, Pace College, Malleneni Engineering College, SSN Engineering College and Chirala Engineering College into COVID Care Centres with the designated COVID-19 hospitals overflowing with patients. Low-risk patients could opt for home quarantine, health officials said.

Prakasam District Legal Services Authority chairperson and Principal District Judge P.Venkata Jyotirmayi helped perform the funeral of a retired school teacher who died of the virus, after the residents opposed the rituals at Pernamitta on the outskirts of Ongole.