Eleven of the 13 districts in the State figure in the list of nationwide hotspots announced on April 15 by the Union Health Ministry based on the number of cases reported in each district.
Interestingly, Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts were off the list despite being surrounded by the hotspots. The other districts were largely affected due to the persons who had returned from Delhi after attending a religious congregation.
Referring to the Health Ministry’s release, Vizianagaram Collector Hari Jawaharlal said that effective surveillance system saved the district from getting affected.
Information pertaining to six aspects, which included travel history, medical history, and symptoms, had been gathered, he said.
In all, 794 samples had been collected from individuals having symptoms such as cold and cough. Of these, 318 tested negative. “The results of the remaining are awaited,” he said.
Mandatory screening
Apart from adopting a similar surveillance exercise, Srikakulam district managed to remain “COVID-free” largely because of the attention paid to the screening process at the numerous check- posts set up at the district’s borders, said officials.
Every person entering the district was made to undergo the screening test and be in quarantine for a period of 14 days before being allowed to proceed to his/her destination.
The district also deployed one ‘COVID officer’ for every 10 suspected cases to help monitor their health in real time.
