VIJAYAWADA: The rapid surge in fresh cases of coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh continued as 6,096 were reported in 24 hours ending Friday 9 am, a new high after October 6. The state also saw 20 more fatalities, the highest in a day in about six months.The number of active cases shot up to 35,592, another six-month high.
Chittoor became the first district to report over a thousand infections in 24 hours. With 1,024 cases on Friday and 904 a day earlier, the district, which also reported five of the 20 new casualties in the state, now has an overall caseload of 98,032, only after East Godavari which heads the table with a caseload of 1,28,306.
Krishna, which saw a single fatality on Thursday, reported three more deaths taking the toll in the district to 699, second to Chittoor with a toll of 909. Anantapur, Kadapa, Kurnool, Nellore, Praksam and Visakhapanam reported two new deaths each.
After Chittoor, East Godavari reported most cases (750), followed by Guntur (735), Kurnool (550) and Srikakulam (534). Compared to four districts a day earlier, five districts saw their aggregates grow by more than 500 on Friday. The situation in West Godavari seemed to be under control as it recorded only 68 new cases, and was the only district with two-digit growth.
Meanwhile, 2,194 recoveries were reported which took the overall recoveries to 9,05,266. The overall recovery rate that once touched 99 per cent, has now dipped to 95.8 per cent, as per the government data. The case fatality rate in Andhra Pradesh slid to 0.78 per cent.