The spike in the number of COVID-19 cases is continuing at an alarming rate in the State with 51 more persons testing positive in the last 24 hours. The tally has gone up to 303 cases with three casualties, according to the 6 p.m. bulletin by the Health Department on Monday.
Over 92% (280) of the total cases were reported during the last one week ever since the authorities began testing hundreds of samples of persons who had returned from the Tablighi Jamaat meeting in New Delhi and their contacts every day.
During the first two weeks since the first positive case was reported in the State on March 12, only 23 cases were reported and the number grew exponentially later.
Kurnool reported 21 new cases, a day after it reported 49 cases on Sunday.
Nellore reported eight new cases followed by West Godavari with six cases, Visakhapatnam (5), Kadapa (4), Anantapur (3), Guntur (2) and Krishna and Prakasam with one new case each.
So far, Kurnool district which has the highest number of Delhi returnees, has reported 74 cases and Nellore reported 42 cases. They are followed by Guntur (32), Krishna (29), Kadapa (27), Prakasam (24), West Godavari (21), Visakhapatnam (20), Chittoor (17), East Godavari (11), and Anantapur (6).
Close to 3,500 samples have been tested till date and results of hundreds of samples were awaited.
Meanwhile, the Kurnool Collector issued orders under the Essential Services Maintenance Act.
Aarogyasri cover
In a release, the Department of Health requested private doctors, Indian Medical Association members, members of various speciality associations, junior doctors and nurses to enrol voluntarily to supplement the existing workforce at the State and district-level COVID hospitals.
It said the government was procuring large quantities of protective gear.
Meanwhile, the government brought 15 types of procedures related to suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19 under the purview of the Dr. YSR Aarogyasri scheme by issuing a GO.