Coronavirus testing laboratory to be set up in Visakhapatnam: Health Minister

Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Health, Family Welfare & Medical Education of Andhra Pradesh, Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas (Nani), on Tuesday, said that a laboratory to test for coronavirus will be set up in Visakhapatnam district, following the orders of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The Minister informed that the Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) Hospital has been identified to set up the much-needed laboratory in Visakhapatnam to test coronavirus suspect cases. Mr Srinivas further stated that separate isolation wards should be set up at select public and private hospitals to treat the infected, depending on the seriousness of the case. He also noted the need to arrange ventilators in the respective wards.

Speaking at a district-level meeting held in Visakhapatnam, the Health Minister urged the public to support the State Government’s call for lockdown and act accordingly. He further congratulated the district administration for taking efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus in Visakhapatnam.

“In order to curb the coronavirus, 20 different committees of various departments, headed by the District Collector, have been set up to prevent the disease from spreading. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will be appraised and the necessary medicines and medical equipment will be taken care of. Coronavirus positive cases have been reported by people coming from abroad, so those who come from abroad voluntarily report and medical assistance will be provided to them. By doing this, they can arrest the disease to spread to others,” the Minister said.

District Collector V Vinay Chand said that 20 committees have been set up across the district to prevent coronavirus. Zonal level Trishabhya Committees have been set up with five members, in the village panchayats and wards. In a bid to halt the spread of coronavirus, the teams are ensuring that the people arriving from abroad, within their respective areas, are being monitored from time to time. These travellers are being kept under the mandatory fourteen-day home isolation. Similarly, people from other states are advised in-home quarantine. Essential pharma companies in the district, Steel Plant, Visakhapatnam Port Trust, Gangavaram Port, and Oil companies have taken steps to work in shifts. Rest all other companies have been asked to lockdown, the Collector informed.

As per government orders, the rythu bazaars will be shifted to larger grounds to ensure social distancing. Also, only medical shops have been allowed to stay open from 8 pm to 6 am, while the remaining ones will be closed.