RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: The official machinery of East Godavari is a worried lot as the district reported the highest test positivity rate of 8.48 per cent in the State during the week ending on August 5. The daily COVID-19 count had been more than 400 for the past 10 days.
The number of new infections declined to 375 only on Sunday from 438 on Saturday. On an average, 6,500 COVID tests are being conducted a day. East Godavari has the highest active caseload of 3,395 in the State due to high positivity rate.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, District Medical and Health Officer (DM&HO) Dr KVS Gowreswara Rao said, "The test positivity rate is not coming down though we are making concerted efforts to curb the spread of Covid. We are doubtful whether it (the high daily count) is the beginning of the third wave or the end of the second wave in the district."
Attributing the increase in the positivity rate to people's reluctance to strictly adhere to COVID-19 protocol, the DM&HO said more cases are being reported in Konaseema revenue division. The incidence of COVID-19 is also high in fishermen's villages, he said.
RT PCR test centres will be set up at Amalapuram and Rajamahendravaram soon. Task force committees have also been formed to combat Covid effectively, the DM&HO said. "Emphasis will be laid on vaccination and strengthening of medical infrastructure in government hospitals and PHCs, besides ramping up testing," he said.
Rajamahendravaram DM&HO Dr Komali told The New Indian Express that a 27-day awareness programme has been taken up to promote COVID Appropriate Behaviour among people in a big way. As Rajamahendravaram division has a test positivity rate of 4 per cent, transit hospitals will be set up and affiliated to COVID Care Centres to combat the pandemic effectively, she added.
50 cr get at least one jab: FM
VISAKHAPATNAM: About 50 crore people across the country have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine so far, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Sunday. Speaking to mediapersons, after visiting vaccination site Chinna Waltair in the city, Sitharman said, by July-end, they had achieved more than the target. As more foreign vaccines were getting approval for use in India, the vaccination drive will pick pace, she said.