Five more persons — three in SPSR Nellore district and two in Prakasam — tested positive for coronavirus in the last 24 hours.
With this the number of persons who contracted the virus rose to 67 in SPSR Nellore district and 44 in Prakasam district. Nellore and Ongole with 35 and 26 positive cases respectively emerged as COVID-19 hot spot.
While two persons had died so far in Nellore, one person each in Nellore and Ongole had recovered.
While 46 persons were under treatment at the Government General Hospital, Nellore, 18 others were treated in Narayana Medical College Hospital. Police enforced the lockdown strictly and seized vehicles of motorists moving out their homes without any valid reasons.
Holding a video conference from Vijayawada with Nellore Collector M.V. Seshagiri Babu and other officials, Industries Minister M. Gowtham Reddy asked them to put to immediate use 2,500 rapid diagnostic kits allotted for the district.
He also wanted them to speed up procurement of paddy from farmers.
Tobacco auctions
In Ongole, Prakasam District Collector P. Bhaskar announced after a review meeting with stakeholders, that tobacco auctions, which have been suspended since the announcement of lockdown, would recommence from Monday from three auction platforms of Ongole II, Tangutur I and II.
