VIJAYAWADA: The number of tests conducted per million in Andhra Pradesh crossed 3,000-mark and stood at 3,091 on Saturday morning.
Tamil Nadu with 2,799 tests per million and Rajasthan with 1,942 tests per million are standing second and third in the country.
The State continues to lead the country in number of tests. To date, 1,65,069 samples were tested in the State.
A total 8,388 samples were tested from 9 am on Friday to 9 am on Saturday. The number of discharged (45) is more than the number of new cases in the State (43) in the last 24 hours.
Andhra Pradesh is also doing better in the positivity rate and mortality rate when compared to the national average. Against the national average of 3.92 per cent positivity rate, the state has 1.17 per cent positivity rate and it has a 2.28 per cent mortality rate, better than the national average of 3.3 per cent.
COVID-19 toll in the State increased to 44 with three more patients succumbing to the virus in the last 24 hours ending Saturday morning. Two of them were from Krishna and one from Kurnool. The number of active COVID-19 cases slid below the 1,000-mark to 999 though the overall tally rose to 1,930 with the addition of 43 in the last 24 hours.
The number of discharged now stands at 887 with the addition of 45. According to the media bulletin issued by the State Command Control Room on Saturday morning, out of the 43 new cases, Krishna district accounted for 16 and Chittoor 11, taking the count in those districts to 338 and 96 respectively. Another six cases reported in Kurnool took the district count to 553.
Anantapur district crossed 100-mark with three new cases reported in the last 24 hours. With another five new cases, Visakhapatnam now has 62 cases. Guntur district tally increased to 376 with two new cases.
Among the 43 patients discharged after recovery, Kurnool accounted for 27, Krishna - 8, Guntur - 4, East Godavari - 3, Anantapur - 2, and Nellore 1. Prakasam district now has only one active case as 60 of the 61 patients have been discharged.
Meanwhile, explaining the COVID-19 situation in the State to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Speical Chief Secretary Jawahar Reddy and officials said they have focused on migrant workers and conducting tests on those in quarantine centres.
To a maximum extent, the spread of the virus has been confined to containment zones, which, Jawahar Reddy said, was a welcome development.
The Chief Minister asked the officials to pay attention to the elderly and those suffering from comorbidities.
He was told that only those with less immunity were falling victims to the virus. Regarding the situation of migrant workers, the officials informed the Chief Minister that around 700 workers without any permissions or conducting medical tests have entered the state.
“We are making efforts to trace them and test them,” they explained and added that threat of the virus spreading to others from those returning to the state was large.
The Chief Minister was informed that they have focused on telemedicine and started procuring motorcycles for dispensing medicines prescribed through telemedicine. They said only 500 calls were pending and they too would be cleared at the earliest.
“Arrangements have been made for conducting medical tests at the State borders and 11 check posts have been set up for the purpose. Those who are crossing borders will be subjected to a thermal screening and preliminary tests,” officials said. The Chief Minister directed the officials to find out the reasons for the increase in aqua feed price and do the needful.