Adhere to all protocols in A.P. to pre-empt possible third wave impact: Jagan

Preventive measure: A health technician offering hand sanitiser to a woman at a testing centre at Tummalapalli Vari Kalakshetram in Vijayawada on Thursday. (Source: The Hindu)

Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has instructed the officials to ensure that the COVID-19 protocols are strictly followed in educational institutions and at public places in order to pre-empt the possible impact of the third wave of the pandemic.

Reviewing the COVID-19 situation on Thursday, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy also wanted the officials to focus on “breakthrough infections,” completion of the two-dose vaccination drive, and administering booster doses thereafter.

‘Continue night curfew’

Besides, he directed that the night curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. be continued in view of the festival season.

Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said there was no room for complacency as the schools had reopened amidst the looming threat of the third wave and because the vaccination drive was yet to be over. Officials informed the Chief Minister that so far 3,02,52,905 doses of vaccine had been received and they were administered to 2,18,04,564 people. Of them, 1,33,56,223 received a single dose and 84,48,341 both the doses. They expressed confidence that by the end of November, all those aged above 18 would be given the first dose and the task would be completed by February 2022. The officials also told the Chief Minister that the number of active cases was 14,473. While the recovery rate stood at 98.58%, the positivity rate was 2.11%.

“The positivity rate is less than three in 10 districts, and there are zero cases in the purview of almost 10,000 village secretariats,” they added.

A total of 20,964 oxygen concentrators and 27,311 D-type oxygen cylinders were made available, and works related to oxygen supply in 95 government hospitals would be completed by the end of September.

Minister for Health Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas, DGP Gautam Sawang, Principal Secretary (Health) Anil Kumar Singhal, COVID Task Force Committee Chairman M.T. Krishna Babu, Commissioner of Health Katamaneni Bhaskar, Aarogyasri CEO V. Vinay Chand, APMSIDC Vice-Chairman D. Muralidhar Reddy and Medical and Health Director (Drugs) Ravi Shankar were among those present.