Task force personnel have expressed concern over the daily COVID-19 tally in Chittoor district that has remained over 250 during the last one week. Of the 255 cases on Sunday, half of them are from urban areas, mainly from Tirupati, Chittoor and Srikalahasti.
Chittoor district recorded about 7,000 fresh cases by August 29, the highest in the State, with a fatality rate of 1.6%. Since March last year, the district has reported a total of 2.38 lakh cases and 1,840 casualties, also the highest in the State.
Nodal Officer for Government District Headquarters Hospital (DHQH) and Apollo Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (AIMSR) A.K. Rajesh Babu said that top priority was being given to keep the cases under check as positivity rate has remained higher than the recovery rate in Chittoor for a week now.
“Considering the rising cases as a warning, special task force teams have been formed to curb public mobility by monitoring the gatherings at festivals, private functions and marketplaces,” the official said.
Chief Administrator (District Headquarters Hospital) Naresh Kumar Reddy said that the vaccination drive in Chittoor district had covered 147 sites and administered 24.27 lakh doses, including 7.28 lakh second doses, by August 29. Special drives were conducted to increase vaccine coverage among people here and steps have been taken to expedite contact tracing, he said.
Focus on raising awareness
“We are raising awareness among the public on the need to be extremely cautious for the next two months, considering the festival season,” the official said.
Mr. Naresh Kumar Reddy said that the complications, arising out of COVID-19, were least among the vaccinated section, but high-to-very high among those who did not receive the jab.
“Early identification of infection, visiting doctors and getting COVID-19 tests done reduce the risk of severity of disease. Unfortunately, many people do not get tested and remain under home isolation and go for self-medication. Our study revealed that 90% of the casualties are due to neglecting symptoms in the initial stage,” he said.
