The Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA-Chintoor) authorities have shut down five weekly shandies in the Chintoor Agency of East Godavari district to contain the spread of COVID-19 along the tri-State borders of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
The weekly shandies in Chintoor Agency are thronged by tribals from neighboring Odisha and Chhattisgarh States where they purchase essential commodities.
Speaking to The Hindu , ITDA-Chintoor Project Officer A. Venkata Ramana said, “Traders of various commodities have been asked to visit the villages in the absence of the weekly shandies. It is mandatory that people returning from Chhattisgarh and Odisha States to Chintoor Agency undergo the COVID-19 test at the borders. Special medical teams are deployed at the State border to prevent the entry of people without undergoing the COVID-19 test.”
As of Wednesday, Chintoor Agency has recorded 13 deaths due to COVID-19. The total number of positive cases are 865 reported from the mandals of Chintoor (367 cases), Kunavaram (142), V.R. Puram (132) and Yetapaka (212).
“We are running two COVID Care Centres (CCC) at Chintoor and Kunavaram, each with 120-bedded capacity. Nearly 30% of the beds have been occupied at the CCCs. We have 10 hospitals including an Area Hospital and all of them are equipped with oxygen facility. At least eight ambulances are available to shift patients to Rajamahendravaram for critical care treatment,” said Mr. Venkata Ramana.
On Wednesday, Backward Classes Minister Ch. Venu Gopala Krishna and East Godavari Collector D. Muralidhar Reddy inspected the healthcare facilities and vaccination drive in the Chintoor Agency. They are also holding talks with ITDA authorities for setting up a 300-litre capacity oxygen production plant to meet the needs of the Agency hospitals.
