The district administrations of Vizianagaram and Srikakulam — the only two districts in the State which have remained free of coronavirus till now — were asked not to let their guard down and continue to remain vigilant.
Senior IAS officer and Vizianagaram Special Officer Vivek Yadav on Thursday held a high-level meeting with doctors of Maharaja Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS), which has been identified as a COVID-19 hospital. Doctors informed him that 50 beds have been readied in the ICU and over 200 beds kept in non-ICU wards to treat COVID-19 cases.
The Vizianagaram district administration said that seven persons from the district who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat meeting in Nizamuddin have tested negative for the pandemic. Nobody from Srikakulam district attended the congregation, officials said.
“Doctors and medical teams have been advised to prepare for the worst. There should not be any lapses in prepardness as cases can appear suddenly. The situation may spiral out of control if COVID-19 spreads quickly. There should not be any complacence even after lifting of the lockdown. This has been explained to all officials,” Mr. Yadav said.
“People should support the district administration by avoiding travel. Social distancing rules will continue to be in force even after the lockdown,” he said.
Meanwhile, Srikakulam Collector J. Nivas directed all officials to identify those who have returned from New Delhi in the last one month. Although no one had attended the religious congregation, there is a possibility that returnees from Delhi might have been exposed to the virus at public places, officials said.
The district administration sought the help of the Railways in identifying the returnees with the help of reservation tickets. Around 50 persons might have returned to Srikakulam from New Delhi in the last one month, according to sources.
