There was a surge in COVID-19 infections and deaths in Andhra Pradesh with the State reporting four more fatalities and 758 cases on Thursday. In Kerala it was 1,989 new cases and 12 deaths from the past few days. Karnataka recorded 2,523 fresh cases and 10 fatalities. Telangana added 493 cases on Wednesday.
Karnataka Health Minister K. Sudhakar said from April 1, passengers arriving from any State to Bengaluru must possess a RT-PCR negative report. It was decided to hand-stamp infected persons residing in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike limits. There were 1,623 new cases from Bengaluru Urban.
Andhra Pradesh Education Minister Adimulapu Suresh said schools would continue to function in the State with strict COVID-19 guidelines. Just when the department thought the education sector could be put back on the rails after the disruption, there were signs of a second wave emerging.
“Officials have been given strict instructions to scrupulously follow the protocol — use of masks and hand sanitisers and maintaining social distancing,” he said.
On more than 160 students in a junior college in Rajahmahendravaram testing positive, the Minister said it was “very unfortunate”. Action was taken against the college management and the hostel closed down,” he said.
The daily test positivity rate (TPR) of 35,196 samples tested was 2.15%, the highest in over four months. So far in March, 5,963 infections were reported and 3,139 were reported in the past week. Nearly 70% (2,150) were reported in five districts. Two deaths occurred in Chittoor and one each in Guntur and Visakhapatnam districts. Chittoor reported the highest incidence of 175 cases, followed by Guntur (127), Visakhapatnam (98), Krishna (80), Anantapur (56), East Godavari (45), Nellore (33), Prakasam (30), Kurnool (27), Srikakulam (27), Kadapa (24), Vizianagaram (23) and West Godavari (13).
Kerala’s tally on Thursday rose to 11,11,897 cases. With 51,027 samples tested, the TPR dipped to 3.9%. With 12 deaths the State’s cumulative toll was 4,539. Kollam reported three deaths, Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur two each, while Alappuzha, Kottayam, Thrissur, Malappuram and Kasaragod recorded one death each.
Kozhikode district reported 301, Kannur 205, Thiruvananthapuram 202, Malappuram 193, Ernakulam 188, Kottayam 152, Kollam 147, Alappuzha 110, Pathanamthitta 101, Thrissur 94, Kasaragod 92, Idukki, 89, Palakkad 101, and Wayanad 43 cases.
One returnee from South Africa tested positive. With this, a total of 108 persons who came from abroad since mid-December had tested positive. This included 102 from UK, five from South Africa and one from Brazil.
So far, 11, including one contact of a UK returnee, tested positive for the B.1.1.7 variant.
In Telangana four deaths were reported. There was an increase of 27 cases in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation area.
(With inputs from Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad and Bengaluru bureaus)
