CHITTOOR: There is no let up in Covid-19 situation in Chittoor district, which, on Monday, reported nine positive cases. Eight of them were linked to the Koyambedu market in Chennai.
Also, Tenali’s first infectee, who was among the five fresh cases in Guntur district, had visited the market and returned on May 4, according to officials.
“The district administration, so far, has traced 565 persons who recently visited the market. Of them, 312 were tested till Monday,” Chittoor collector Narayan Bharat Gupta said. He, along with, assistant collector Prithvi Tej visited Mulakalacheruvu and Ramacharlapalle, from where the fresh cases were recorded. These villages were declared red zones.
“Medical teams have collected samples of traders, truck drivers and street vendors who visited Koyambedu. They must come forward for the tests voluntarily,” the collector added.
Stating that there were chances of more such persons testing positive in the future, Bharat Gupta informed that the Chennai returnees were divided into three categories: drivers, labourers and fruit and vegetable traders.
“In all, four per cent of drivers, 2.5 per cent of labourers and 10 per cent of traders have tested positive.” The officials have also quickened the process of Truenat testing in red zones from where the infectees linked to Koyambedu were identified.
The Tenali patient, who was shifted to the Covid-19 hospital in Guntur, is a resident of Aithanagar. He lives very close to the residence of MLA Annabattuni Siva Kumar. Other cases reported from the district were from Narasaraopet (3) and Guntur city (1).Also, Anantapur collector Gandham Chandrudu has directed the district officials to trace 310 traders, cashiers, truck drivers and cleaners who returned from Chennai.
“While the traders and cashiers should be sent to quarantine centres under the first category, the truck drivers and cleaners should be sent to the camps under second category. Their contacts should be kept in home isolation,” he told the officials.In Prakasam too, officials are tracing traders and farmers from Vulavapadu, Hanumanthunipadu, Kanigiri and Tangutur areas who recently came back from Koyambedu.