VIJAYAWADA: Covid-19 situation in the rural and suburban areas surrounding the city is alarming when compared to other areas. Positivity rate is increasing significantly in rural areas after Sankranti celebrations and the health wing authorities have deployed special teams and sample collection points to intensify tests there.
Penamaluru mandal in the district registered 35 per cent positivity rate after Sankranti. Areas like Kanuru, Poranki, and Tadigadapa on the outskirts of Vijayawada city fall under Penamaluru mandal which has a population of 2.5 lakh. Officials tested 500 samples from this area recently, of which 210 tested positive. Many people in this area are moving to Vijayawada for testing.
Mustabada stood second with 28 per cent positivity rate followed by Peda Avutapalli (25 per cent) and Unguturu (20 per cent).
Dr Sundar Kumar, health officer at Uppaluru PHC, said hundreds of people from various metro cities visited the rural areas during Sankranti which is the main reason for the sudden spike in the number of Covid-19 cases. He said almost one in every family at Unguturu is sick and they are working round the clock to provide better treatment.
Health wing authorities feel gatherings at cock fights, rangolu competitions and other Sankranti celebrations helped the virus spread rapidly in rural areas.
Meanwhile, admissions to oxygen and ICU wards of government and private hospitals have increased slightly. Authorities have warned that hospitalisation will further increase in the next ten days. Two new Covid-19 care centres were added to the existing 14 centers in the district. New centres were established at Nuzividu and Nandigama to provide emergency care for the patients who are in need of oxygen.
Only 63 patients are receiving treatment at Covid-19 care centres presently but officials are working to improve amenities there anticipating a sudden spike in hospitalisations.
