VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has directed the officials to ensure that the ongoing symptomatic survey, being conducted for the third time in the State, is in accordance with the suggestions made by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Addressing a high-level review meeting on COVID-19 situation in the State, the Chief Minister asked the officials to include two more categories as per the guidelines of the ICMR and add more questions for the survey.
Ensure that the door-to-door survey is being conducted sans any lapses, Jagan said. The Chief Minister asked the officials to make sure that the health details of the family members collected during the survey were in proper order.
Officials informed him that the details were being recorded real time. They were asked to include the 6,289 people, who were identified to be suffering from cold, cough and fever, during the first two surveys.
At the same time, he wanted the tests to be conducted not just on the people referred for by medical officers but also on those having symptoms.
Explaining the COVID-19 situation in the State, officials informed the Chief Minister that in 12 hours from 9 pm on Wednesday, not a single positive case reported in the State. A total 217 samples were tested and all of them came negative.
Officials said the Delhi returnees and their primary contacts are the reason for the hike in the number of positive cases in the State.
Now, almost all Delhi returnees and their primary contacts were tested, they said and expressed hope that the number of cases will come down in the coming days. Dr K Srinath Reddy, advisor (health) to the Chief Minister, explained the prevailing situation across the country, extent of spread and penetration of the virus, various medical strategies being adopted to contain them and various studies being carried out. Officials heaped praise on the police department under DGP Gautam Sawang for their efforts in identifying Delhi returnees and their primary contacts.
The Chief Minister asked the officials about the isolation wards in the hospitals and directed them to review the situation and submit a report. He also took stock of the measures being taken for helping farmers, like setting up of paddy procurement centres. He asked the officials to estimate the number of trucks required for transportation of agricultural produce and take necessary action. Officials informed him that they have decentralised markets and set up them outside the containment areas. The Chief Minister emphasised the need for price stabilisation in market.