VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh’s Covid-19 count rose to 20,80,602 with the State adding over 800 cases for the second consecutive day on Saturday.
The fresh spike of 838 cases heavily outnumbered the daily recoveries and increased the active caseload by over 650 to 3,659. The total number of samples tested so far rose to 3.15 crore with the addition of 37,000 afresh.
Meanwhile, 150 infected persons got cured in the 24 hours ending 9 am today, making it a total of 20,62,440 recoveries. Two more deaths took the death toll to 14,503.
According to the latest bulletin, Chittoor reported the highest of 175 fresh infections closely followed by 174 in Visakhapatnam. Both the districts are the only ones in the State with more than 600 active cases at present. Seven districts logged fewer cases than on Friday while the lowest of 15 new cases emerged from Kurnool.
The four Rayalaseema districts logged more than 250 new infections while the three north coastal Andhra districts accounted for 243 cases.
All 13 districts reported an increase in the active cases. Only three districts have below 100 active cases with the lowest of 60 in Prakasam.
Two more fatalities -- one each in Srikakulam and West Godavari -- took the overall deaths to 14,503. Srikakulam reported a fatality after a long gap. Kadapa has the lowest of 644 deaths while Chittoor has the highest of 1,959 fatalities.
Convocations postponed
Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan has directed vice-chancellors of the State universities, who scheduled their annual convocations in January and February, to defer the programmes for the time being in view of the rising number of Covid-19 cases. The Governor on Saturday reviewed the Covid situation and the rise in the Omicron cases in the State. Earlier, he had informed the V-Cs to hold the annual convocations periodically on a regular basis. The fresh decision came in the interest of health of students, parents, faculty members and administrative staff
