With a capacity of 2,784 tests per million, the Guntur district administration is bracing for a massive community testing of those returning from foreign countries and neighbouring States. The district that has borders with Kurnool, Krishna, Prakasam is bracing up for a possible influx of students and professionals from other parts of the country.
“We have identified Primary Health Centres/village/ward secretariats for sample collection using Rapid Test Kits to diagnose COVID-19. The Nasopharyngeal Swab Specimens are then tested at VRDL lab at GMC and TrueNAT test labs which have a combined testing capacity of 900 samples per day. Those who are coming from other States or foreign countries will be quarantined for 14 days in their villages or towns,” District Collector I. Samuel Ananda Kumar said on Friday.
Ever since the first positive COVID-19 case was identified on March 27, the district administration had been on its toes, identifying, isolating, testing and treating COVID infected persons.
“We have identified the first positive case from Mangadas Nagar and after ascertaining that he had been to Delhi during March 14-17, 2020, we have alerted the Central Government. Finally, it has emerged that 10,000 persons from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu have attended the religious congregation of Tablighi Jamaat. The AP Police then alerted the Intelligence Bureau which then investigated and obtained the travel history of all the Delhi returnees,” said the Collector.
The final count of Delhi returnees was 122, of which 105 returned to Andhra Pradesh. While 63 were from Guntur Urban, 42 are from Guntur Rural.
Nearly after a month of lockdown, the first case was reported from Narsaraopet with a 53-year-old cable collection agent succumbing to COVID. The entire neighbourhood where he lived was infected and of 373 cases reported so far, Narsaraopet accounted for 163 cases, overtraking Guntur, which recorded 159 cases. Further, the district administration has identified multi-disciplinary teams consisting of civil supplies, revenue, police and municipal personnel to distribute essential commodities to people in containment zones.
