With 1293 Covid cases in 6 days, Vizag stares down the barrel

Glum scenes and horrors from 2020 threaten to make an uncalled comeback across the nation. The much-dreaded second wave of Covid-19 has gripped India and the numbers emerging each day only seem to be adding to the worry. On Tuesday, the country reported as many 1.07 lakh new Covid-19 cases; the highest since the pandemic broke out last year. Closer home, district authorities in Vizag too have taken to a battle mode once again with the daily Covid cases shooting up.

The numbers caught up with a concerning trend from the last week of March, when the sudden surge of cases in Andhra University set off alarm bells across the district. As the first week, ok April comes to an end, the numbers registered in the month so far signal danger. In 6 days, Vizag has reported 1293 cases, with Tuesday alone seeing 258 fresh cases, the highest in seven months. While the tally rose to 62,989, the death toll increased to 580, Health, Medical & Family Welfare Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, stated.

In a recent interaction with Yo! Vizag, AMC Principal PV Sudhakar pointed out that 80 percent of the active cases are from the city. He informed that the periphery (outskirts) of Vizag has been reporting more infections than some densely populated central localities. Sharing further details, he said, “Under the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) limits, Madhurawada, Gajuwaka, Pedagantyada, and Arilova, are the areas that have been recording the majority of the Covid cases in Visakhapatnam.”

With the Central Government labeling the next four weeks very critical in the fight against the pandemic, authorities across the nation have been put on high alert. In Vizag, the impetus is being placed on contact tracing and isolation while scaling up the testing strategy. “The Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) are keeping a tab on those who test positive for Covid in Vizag district. The contact tracing is also being done effectively,” Dr Sudhakar said. Furthermore, the district administration has also formed a 40-member special home isolation monitoring committee. Consisting of doctors from various disciplines, the special committee works in coordination with ward secretariats in helping the positive patients recover from the infection and also prevent any possible spread.

While the authorities, both at the state and central levels, have been working towards curbing the virus spread, the role of citizens remains to be the pivotal aspect in breaking the chain. As Vizag, and the nation at large, stare down the barrel, following precautionary measures, wearing masks, practising physical distancing, maintaining hand hygiene, and getting vaccinated (those eligible), are extremely crucial if we are to dodge the impending threat.