After a brief lull, four more persons tested positive for COVID-19 in SPSR Nellore district in the last 24 hours, putting the district administration on its toes.
With this, the total number of infected persons rose to 72 in the district, which also saw the first COVID-19 case in the State when a student who had returned from Italy contracted the disease.
Nellore, Muthukur, Kovur and Tada accounted for one new case each, health officials said. While eight persons had recovered, two persons succumbed to the virus.
The district administration implemented the containment action plan with full vigour in Nellore city where 38 divisions were identified as red zones. State Irrigation Minister P. Anil Kumar Yadav toured Ranganayakulapeta area in the city and oversaw implementation of the containment strategy.
Police strictly enforced the lockdown by booking cases and seizing vehicles of persons who were seen on the roads without any valid reason after the end of the relaxation period in the morning.
Police personnel were seen campaigning at traffic junctions including the VRC centre, holding placards and asking people to stay indoors and practice personal hygiene.
Collector M.V. Seshagiri Babu reviewed the health situation in the district as five new positive cases were registered in the last 48 hours and stepped up surveillance in the containment clusters. Essential commodities were delivered at the doorstep of denizens in the areas declared as red zones.
Meanwhile, TDP district president Beeda Ravichandra held a silent protest at the party office seeking financial assistance for workers who have been pushed into a financial crisis due to the lockdown.
In neighbouring Prakasam district, a cluster management strategy was unveiled at Ravinuthala village in Korisapadu mandal on Sunday after a 28-year-old woman tested positive for coronavirus. The lockdown was total in Ongole which accounted for 30 of the total 53 positive cases in the district.
