Chittoor district on Friday registered 25 positive COVID-19 cases, including 13 with Koyambedu link and 11 linked to Ajmer visit. While the Koyambedu connection is spread over Sadum, Pulicharla, Pakala, Satyavedu, Nagalapuram, Chittoor, Pichatur and Narayanavanam; the cases with Ajmer links are spread all over the district.
Ever since the emergence of the first COVID-19 case in Srikalahasti in March, the total number of cases now stands at 176, double the number that was last week.
District Medical and Health Officer M. Penchalaiah told the media here on Friday that about 100 persons who had come to Chittoor district from Ajmer last week were under quarantine, of which 11 tested positive to the virus. “After the Koyambedu link, now we are equally concentrating on those who visited Ajmer. The best possible way to check the spread is that the public who have visited the places or maintained contact with those who visited these two places should voluntarily come for tests,” Dr. Penchalaiah said.
Discharged
The COVID-19 task force officials said that on Friday, two people, including a 75-year old woman from Kadapa district, were discharged from the SVIMS COVID Hospital at Tirupati, after they tested negative to the virus twice. However, they were told to strictly observe 14-day home quarantine.
A group of 54 students of Chittoor district from Jalandar arrived at Vijayawada by special train on Friday. From Vijayawada, arrangements were made for them to reach Chittoor by two buses. They are expected to reach their destinations by night.
Lockdown relaxation
With relaxation in lockdown norms, day-to-day activity has gradually picked up in several mandals, particularly the small and cottage industries. Though the local traders elsewhere had opened their shops since Thursday, public movement was limited to a few shops selling groceries and essential commodities. Bakeries, sweet stalls and the hotels, which are permitted to sell take away items, wore a deserted look with no takers. The shop owners hoped that their business would get back on rails by month-end.
Meanwhile, the inter-State movement with a large number of public carrying e-passes had increased in the last two days. The police personnel at the border check posts at Battalapalle, N.R. Peta, Palamaner and Cheekalabailu said that several people from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu stranded in Chittoor district, who awaited their return, had engaged vehicles from their States.
