NELLORE/PRAKASAM: The number of Covid cases in the state is on a steady decline and the positivity rate has come down to 5.65 per cent, said principal secretary (health) Anil Kumar Singhal.
Addressing the media in Tirupati and later in Ongole on Sunday, Singhal said the partial curfew has been further relaxed and it will only be effect from 6 pm to 6 am from Monday. He visited Chittoor and Prakasam district to supervise the ‘mega vaccination drive’ undertaken by the state government.
“As on Sunday, the state has a total caseload of 18,50,563, and 17,75,175 patients have recovered. As 12,319 people have died of Covid, the active caseload stood at 63,068. At hospitals, 11,238 are undergoing treatment for Covid-19; another 6,497 are being treated at Covid care centres. The remaining patients are in home isolation. Singhal said the number of calls made to ‘104’ call centres has also reduced. In last 24 hours, only 1,700 calls were received by the service.
“Different initiatives of the state government such as supplying oxygen in a systematic manner, and focusing on tracing, testing and treating, yielded results and the number of Covid cases were brought down.” Elaborating on oxygen supply management, he said measures were taken to provide uninterrupted supply of oxygen to all hospitals in the state. “In the second wave, per day oxygen requirement increased to 700 metric tonnes. We are setting up oxygen plants and 100 more beds in all hospitals at a cost of Rs 350 crore,” he explained.
The official explained that the government is making all preparations to effectively face the possible third wave of Covid even as the vaccination drive is underway in full swing. “A committee has been constituted to suggest protocols for the third wave. Infrastructure of pediatric wards in all hospitals are being improved.”