Covid-19 update: Number of cases not touching zero in Visakhapatnam

The Covid-19 curve has finally flattened in Vizag. The daily number of Covid-19 cases in the Visakhapatnam District is holding fort, with around 20 to 30 cases, and refusing to go down. The situation is very much the same around the state, with Andhra Pradesh reporting around 800 cases daily. Only on Sunday, 3 October 2021, a sharp decline was witnessed as the daily number of cases fell to 429. Due to these circumstances, the State Government is yet to lift the night curfew. While the predicted third wave of Covid-19 hasn’t arrived yet, the fact that the Covid-19 curve refuses to hit zero is a worrying sign.

On Sunday, 34 cases were recorded in the Visakhapatnam District. The number of active cases in Vizag was noted to be 200, having declined gradually from last week. No Covid-19 deaths were reported. 

October had earlier been predicted as the month when a third wave of Covid-19 would peak in Visakhapatnam. This can be attributed to the fast pace at which people are being vaccinated in the district. But this is not to be inferred as Vizag being Covid-19 free.

Talking about the status of Covid-19 in Vizag, Principal of Andhra Medical College (AMC), Dr. PV Sudhakar, shared, “Even though the Covid-19 curve has flattened in Visakhapatnam and the district is reporting a low number of cases, citizens shouldn’t get lax. Covid-19 norms still need to be followed. Vaccination has been done in Visakhapatnam at a rate better than other districts of AP. We are now close to 100 percent coverage of the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine. Within the next fifteen days, all citizens of Visakhapatnam are expected to have been vaccinated with at least the first dose.”

When asked about any precautions the district authorities need to take so that the number of Covid-19 cases doesn’t rise again, the AMC Principal said, “In order to prevent a third wave of Covid-19, the focus needs to be on vaccinating all who haven’t received the first dose yet. After that, those who are yet to get their second dose need to be vaccinated. Once everyone is vaccinated in Visakhapatnam, there will be no threat of a major Covid-19 outbreak.”