A few urban areas in the district that have reported COVID-19 cases, such as Anakapalle, Madhurawada and Appughar, have seen a spurt in cases after the lockdown was relaxed post June 1, and have contributed 40% of the total active coronavirus cases in the district.
In Anakapalle, both the Town and Rural limits have been the worst-hit as they have reported the maximum number of cases in the district.
While Anakapalle Town has reported 23 COVID-19 cases alone, the rural area has seen 12 COVID-19 cases were reported from four clusters - Kundram, Rebaka, Bowlavada, and Bhatlapudi. In the case of Anakapalle Town, the COVID-19 graph started on June 5 when a family of five, who run an electrical appliance shop at Chintavariveedhi, tested positive.
Later, 14 workers in their shop tested positive, followed by five more persons from the zone.
Though according to the new rules, the containment zone should not be spread over a radius of 200 m, the district administration has decided to form the containment zones with a radius of 700 m from the epicentre of the cluster, as officials from the Health Department, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) have identified that a large number of people from five localities including Chintavariveedhi, Dibbaveedhi, Kota Veedhi and two others have visited the shop when they announced a sale. Tests are being conducted on a massive scale.
“Since the containment zone came into force, nearly 900 tests have been conducted. Another 300 reports are yet to come. Around 30,000 people reside in the containment zone. We have been making all efforts to make sure residents face no problem in getting essential commodities. Sanitation activities are being conducted without fail,” said Sriram Murthy, GVMC’s Anakapalle Zonal Commissioner.
The Health Department has also decided to conduct tests for people aged above 60 years in the containment zone without fail.
Densely populated area
Appughar from Zone II has been the cluster with the maximum number of cases after the relaxation was announced. On Thursday evening, the cluster reported 18 more COVID-19 cases, taking its tally to 34.
Similar to Anakapalle Town, police have increased the containment zone here too, in order to prevent movement of people in the densely populated area. Inspector of MVP police station Ch. Shanmukha Rao said that the containment zone has been extended to 500 m.
“Apart from the cases from Appughar, another case was reported from MVP Colony. Suspecting movement of people to relatives houses from Appughar, the containment zone has been extended towards Cancer Hospital road and parts of Beach Road,” he said.
A few areas like Sai Ram Colony and Gayatri Nagar from Zone I have been contained after an increase in COVID-19 cases. While Sai Ram Colony has reported 15 COVID-19 cases till Wednesday, two more cases were reported on Thursday, taking the tally to 17. Similarly, Gayathri Nagar has reported six cases.
The two areas in Kommadi and PM Palem have reported 21 cases. The entire stretch has been blocked by the officials.
Door-to-door surveillance is being actively conducted in the cluster areas. Zone I in GVMC limits conducted nearly 3,000 tests, which is the highest,” said Zonal Commissioner-I B. Ramu.
