ONGOLE: With one more person testing positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, the tally of positive patients increased to 61 in Prakasam district. The positive patient belongs to Islampet in Ongole. With this, Ongole accounts for 33 positive patients of the district.
Meanwhile, the authorities have discharged 42 positive patients from Ongole-Government General Hospital (GGH-RIMS) and KIMS Hospital. There are 19 active positive patients in the district.
As per the medical bulletin released by the district authorities, a total of 12,000 samples were sent for testing. Of these 60 (+1 at Nellore district) tested positive and 7,940 negative and the result of 4,000 samples are awaited, the authorities said.
Among the 61 positive patients, 33 belong to Ongole, seven to Chirala-Perala area, three each to Kandukur and Kanigiri, four to Kunkalamarru (Karamchedu mandal), five to Gudlur and one each from Chimakurthy, Markapur, Konakanamitla, Podili and Korisapadu mandal limits in the district.
As per the official information, nine mandals — Ongole Urban, Chirala Urban, Karamchedu, Kandukur Urban, Gudluru, Kanigiri, Korisapadu, Markapur town and Podili had been declared red zones. “Apart from TrueNat machine, we have started testing samples through VRDL at Ongole. If anyone tests positive, the sample would be sent to VRDL authorised by ICMR. If the test results are correct, we will get approval to conduct tests here,” GGH superintendent Dr G Sree Ramulu said.