Coronavirus: Andhra Pradesh allocates Rs. 200 crore to deal with emergencies

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy convened a meeting with top officials in Amaravati on Friday to review the state’s preparedness to tackle coronavirus or COVID 19. During the course of the meeting, the Chief Minister directed the officials to allocate Rs. 200 crore in case of an emergency. An amount of Rs. 60 crore was sanctioned to set up special wards in Ananthapur and Vijayawada to deal with the fast-spreading virus. CM Jagan Mohan Reddy requested the super-specialty hospitals in Ananthapur and Vijayawada to handle the incoming coronavirus cases. He directed the officials to set up an official call centre so information is readily available for people.

Briefing the Chief Minister on the current situation in Andhra Pradesh, the officials said that there have been no patients who tested positive for coronavirus so far. Of the 24 people who were tested in the state, 20 were negative, while results for four of them are awaited.

People travelling to the state from other countries are being thoroughly screened at the airports as per the Health Ministry’s advice, while the suspects are being kept in isolation. Ambulances have been arranged to transfer the suspects to the hospitals, and are being sanitised thoroughly after they are dropped off. The isolation wards are being set up away from the major hospitals to prevent the spread of the virus, said the officials during their brief.

Further, the officials stated that over 7000 people were screened at Visakhapatnam and Gannavaram airports until March 5. Additionally, over 1000 people who arrived in Andhra Pradesh via Visakhapatnam, Krishnapatnam ports have also been screened for coronavirus.

Even as more doctors are being trained to handle the sensitive cases, 1.10 lakh masks, 47 ventilators, 351 beds, and 12,444 personal protective equipment have been kept ready as per the Chief Minister’s orders. Additional orders for 12,000 personal protective equipment and 50,000 masks have been placed.