The intensity of coronavirus showed signs of subsiding in Nellore and Prakasam districts as the number of fresh cases came down by more than half in the last 24 hours.
The death toll in the two districts, which had been in the double digit for over a fortnight, also came down to single digit during the period as eight persons-five in Prakasam and three in Nellore district-succumbed to the disease, taking the toll to 379 and 394 respectively.
The number of recoveries was 1,300 more than the fresh admissions into hospitals in the last 24 hours in the two districts, as 444 persons contracted the infection in Prakasam and 456 in Nellore district, both of which are very less in comparison to the last week’s figures that hovered around 1,000 every day.
In an encouraging sign, 2,206 persons, 1,071 in Prakasam and 1,135 in Nellore district, were discharged from the hospitals in the two districts during the period. With this, the number of active cases came down to 13,747 in Nellore district and 6,448 in Prakasam district.
With the disease spreading thick and fast in rural areas, Prakasam district administration decided to start COVID-19 hospitals attached to the public health centres(PHCs) and Community Health Centres(CHCs) in the district, for which government and private buildings were identified across the district with a view to set up at least 100-bed facilities in each of the 12 Assembly constituencies.
Medical kits for patients
Taking stock of the situation, District Collector P. Bhaskar asked the health officials to distribute medical kits worth ₹3 lakh to all those taking treatment from home for the disease.
Visiting those taking treatment for the disease from home at Indukurpeta, Nellore District Collector K.V.N. Chakaradhar Babu noted with satisfaction the downward trend in the registration of fresh cases as also deaths.
‘Test at least 6,000 a day’
He exhorted the health professionals to test at least 6,000 persons each day in the containment zones with a view to swiftly shift serious cases to hospitals and provide treatment to the rest either from home or from COVID-19 Care Centres. Fully following the social norms, planting of tree saplings should be taken up by workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme(MG-NREGS) taking advantage of the ongoing rains, he said.
