Sixteen more persons tested positive for coronavirus in SPSR Nellore district in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 217 in the red zone district, health officials said.
Sullurpeta accounted for a maximum of seven new cases as persons with a history of travel to the wholesale vegetable and fruit market in Chennai and their primary contacts contracted the viral disease. Nellore reported five new cases followed by Vinjamuru with two cases and Kavali and Gudur towns one each, a health bulletin said.
The number of patients under treatment at the Government General Hospital and private Narayana Hospital here went up to 106. As many as 107 persons were cured of the disease, while four persons succumbed to it so far. As many as 334 persons were quarantined.
Health officials were on their toes implementing the cluster containment strategy in Sullurpeta, about 80 km from Chennai, as it accounted for a majority of the 106 active cases. All entry points to Kottamitta area in Nellore city were sealed as also exit points in the wake of spurt of COVID-19 cases.
The lockdown was strictly implemented also in the towns of Kavali and Gudur and health workers went round the town identifying primary and secondary contacts of infected persons.
However, the lockdown was relaxed in keeping with the Centre’s guidelines outside the containment zones. People in large numbers were seen moving freely to make purchase of essential and other commodities in the evening after confining themselves to their homes during day time as the mercury touched the 43 degree Celsius.
Though the pollution levels had come down significantly in the city in view of lesser movement of people during lockdown, the greenery in the city was adversely affected due to neglect of watering to trees, complained a group of denizens.
