VIJAYAWADA: With the spike in Covid-19 cases in East Godavari, Guntur and Krishna, medical and health officials of the three districts have been put on high alert. Taking stock of the situation on Monday, Deputy Chief Minister (Health) Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas (Nani) spoke to the DM&HOs of the three districts and directed them to take all measures to curb the spread of coronavirus.
In Malikipuram of East Godavari district, at least 12 students of a Mandal Parishad Upper Primary School tested positive for Covid in the past four days. According to sources, three school teachers tested positive initially.
Later a cook, who serves the mid-day meal to children, also contracted the virus. As a precautionary measure, the medical and health officials conducted tests on 160-odd students of the school and 12 of them tested positive.
All those who tested positive, were put under home quarantine and the area was declared a containment zone. The entire school was sanitised. In Amalapuram, a man who returned from Hyderabad on March 11, tested positive for the virus.
Health Minister asks medical teams in Krishna district to be on high alert
After his return from Hyderabad, his locality witnessed a spread of the virus and in the tests conducted, 30 tested positive, prompting the authorities to declare the area a containment zone. As on Monday, there are 185 active cases in East Godavari. As many as 31 new infections were reported in the past 24 hours ending Monday 9 am. Incharge DMHO Dr Prasanna Kumar said though the managements of all schools were asked to follow Covid protocol, some of them were not adhering to it strictly, resulting in spurt of Covid cases.
Eight students of a private school at Ponnur in Guntur district tested positive. Ponnur tahsildar Padmanabhudu said the students were kept in home quarantine and the school would be closed for a few weeks as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of virus. Six employees of Tenali municipal office also contracted the virus. The primary and secondary contacts of the infected were being subjected to Covid tests at the government hospital in Tenali.
“Covid-19 tests are conducted for students since reopening of schools and colleges. As many as 1.5 lakh students have been tested so far covering all the government and private schools. However, some private school managements are not showing interest and postponing the conduct of tests,’’ DM&HO Dr Yasmin told TNIE. Following the directives of the Health Minister, the DM&HO sent special teams from Guntur to Tenali and Tadepalli to test primary and secondary contacts of the infected. “We are conducting Covid tests on a large scale in Ponnur as a precautionary measure,” the DM&HO said, seeking people’s cooperation to combat the spread of coronavirus effectively.
In Tadepalli, tahsildar Srinivasa Reddy conducted a meeting to take stock of the situation. The places where more Covid cases are reported, will be declared mini-containment zones and put under round-the-clock surveillance, he said. Guntur district reported 48 new Covid cases on Sunday and 21 on Monday.The Health Minister directed officials to provide medical kits to those who are in home quarantine and monitor their health constantly.
With respect to Krishna district, he asked medical teams to be on high alert. The Medical and Health Department, in association with the Krishna district administration, is taking all measures to identify the primary and secondary contacts of those infected with Covid-19, DM&HO Dr M Sushasini told TNIE.
After March 11, there has been a steady rise in daily count of Covid cases in Krishna district. Ten people tested positive in one day at Jaggaiahpet. “We have shifted all those who tested positive in Jaggaiahpet to home quarantine and alerted medical teams to strengthen surveillance in the town. Survey teams have been deployed to collect samples from the secondary contacts of the infected,” the DM&HO said.Asked about the preparedness, the DM&HO maintained that the spread of virus is not alarming in the district.