Andhra Pradesh fully equipped to handle spike of COVID-19, says HFW Commissioner

With a sudden rise of COVID-19 cases in China, countries across the globe have started implementing preventive measures to handle the spread of the virus effectively. The Andhra Pradesh Government on Thursday released a statement stating the readiness of the government to handle any eventuality with sufficient manpower, beds, drugs and oxygen supply to curb COVID-19 cases.

Health and Family Welfare Commissioner J Nivas said that the state government is following the instructions issued by the Central Government in ensuring testing, tracking, treatment, vaccination and adherence to COVID-appropriate behaviour.

Testing has been made available in 29 RT-PCR labs across the state, and 10 COVID-19 rapid antigen testing kits have been distributed to every YSR Health Clinic. The commissioner also said that more testing kits have been made available in all medical facilities, from PHCs to teaching hospitals.

An INSACOG genome sequencing lab has been set up in Vijayawada, and all COVID-19 samples that test positive will be sent here for genome sequencing. The commissioner said that out of 30,440 samples tested in the last one and half months, 130 samples tested positive, with a positivity rate of 0.42%. 48 of these samples resulted in being the new sub-variant of Omicron XBB but did not require hospitalisation. All the 130 cases tested negative after seven days, he added.

Addressing the vaccination status in the state, the commissioner said that people over 18 are fully vaccinated, and all healthcare 93% of frontline workers have also taken the precautionary dose. 73% of senior citizens and 33% of citizens aged 18-59 have been given the precautionary dose. Lastly, 99% of children below the age of 18 have taken the precautionary dose.

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The bed strength in the state has been made readily available to handle any kind of outbreak. 68,461 general beds, 34,763 oxygen beds and 54,000 quarantine beds are available, according to the report. Sufficient PPE kits, masks, gloves and medicines such as  Ivermectin tablets, Apixabin tablets, and Dexamethasone tablets have also been made available.

Additionally, 74 liquid medicine oxygen tanks, 25 cryogenic tanks, 55,933 D-type oxygen cylinders and 34,021 oxygen concentrators have been procured and kept on standby.

Stay tuned to Yo! Vizag for more updates on COVID-19 cases in Andhra Pradesh