Visakhapatnam police raise awareness on COVID-19 severity in Appughar

Reporting close to 60 COVID-19 cases within a few days, the Appughar area has emerged as a hotspot in Visakhapatnam city. Currently cordoned off as a containment cluster, the area has been under the close watch of the district administration. From ramping up the testing to intensifying sanitisation activities, the concerned officials have been taking measures to prevent the spread of the infection in the area. As part of the measures, the Visakhapatnam City Police, on Tuesday, conducted an awareness meet on COVID-19 with residents of the Appughar area.

The meeting saw the Visakhapatnam police educate the local elders about the severity of COVID-19 in Appughar. Urging them to obey the guidelines issued by the authorities, the cops asked the public to cooperate with the police and other departments to ensure the effective implementation of the government orders.

Appughar is among the densely populated areas in Vizag city. According to official reports, a tea seller from the area, along with two of his family members, tested positive for COVID-19 on 13 June 2020. Soon, the positive cases have been on a steady rise in the area. The on-ground surveillance teams have been conducting door-to-door surveys and collecting samples from individuals in the locality. Interacting with Yo! Vizag, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) Zonal Commissioner (Zone 2), S Srinivasa Rao said, “Containment measures are being carried out in a perimeter of 500 metres at Appughar. Surveillance is being done extensively. We are also disinfecting the locality with bleaching powder and Sodium Hypochlorite solution.”  Health officials have also cited the densely packed clusters and congested lanes in the area as a possible reason for the rapid spread of the infection.

Vizag, as on Monday evening, reported a total of 486 COVID-19 cases. So far, three patients in the district have succumbed to the infection. In the wake of the recent spurt in cases, experts have reiterated the importance of maintaining physical distancing and wearing masks in order to reduce the chances of contracting the virus.