Andhra Pradesh looks to step up fight against COVID-19

As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to be on the rise, the Andhra Pradesh State Government is set to step up its fight against the rapidly spreading disease.

Addressing a video conference held with district collectors, municipal commissioners, and police officials, on Monday, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy called for an effective lockdown across the state to eradicate coronavirus.

Noting that COVID-19 cases were more prevalent in urban areas as compared to rural areas, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister said that a task force should be set up at the constituency level to contain the spread. He further directed the district collectors and municipal commissioners to appoint one doctor per ward at the corporation level and one doctor per every three wards at the municipality level. Primary surveillance teams, ward volunteers, Asha and SHG resource persons, health secretary, additional ANM teams, and secondary surveillance teams must constantly conduct door-to-door surveys in the wake of the outbreak, the Chief Minister said.

As per the details revealed at the conference, VIMS Hospital, which was selected as a state hospital under COVID-19 critical care, will increase the number of non-ICU beds to 400 and ICU beds with ventilators to from 36 to 100. Similarly, GITAM Hospital will be increasing the number of non-ICU beds from 400 to 600 and the ones with ventilators from 14 to 25. Mr. Reddy also stated that 5000 beds should be readied for each district as a precautionary measure. Marriage halls, hotels, engineering colleges, and hostels should be sanitized and be made available if the need arises.

Speaking further, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister directed the officials to make arrangements for those who have no accommodation amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. He said that farmers and labourers should be allowed to do their work for a single hour in the afternoon.

Visakhapatnam District Collector V Vinay Chand explained to the Chief Minister that the district is taking strong measures to curb the coronavirus with a strict lockdown. He informed that medical treatment and assistance is being provided to the six cases that have been reported in the district so far. About 2795 individuals who returned from abroad have been kept in isolation, Mr. Chand noted.

Visakhapatnam City Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar Meena, Rural SP Attada Babujee, GVMC Commissioner G Srijana, Joint Collectors L Siva Shankar, Venugopala Reddy, and Paderu Sub Collector Venkateshwar were also present at the video conference.