Three new cases of COVID-19 surfaced in Chittoor district on Wednesday, with two persons from Nagari municipality and one in Tirupati testing positive for the disease.
With this, the total number of cases rose to 20 in the district.
Confirming the three new cases, Collector Narayana Bharat Gupta told reporters that 444 samples were sent for tests, of which 374 tested negative while results were awaited for 50 samples. He said that the fresh cases were related to those who had already tested positive and were under isolation after returning from the Tablighi Jamaat meeting in Delhi.
The Collector said that there was no dearth of masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the medical and paramedical staff on COVID-19 duty in the district.
Meanwhile, Nagari town wore a deserted look even during the relaxation period as two new cases were reported here from Ramnagar Colony. Senior medical officials along with revenue and police personnel rushed to the Mandal Parishad Development Office, and chalked out an action plan that included a second round of spraying disinfectants in the red zone. With this, the total number of COVID-19 positive cases touched five in Nagari Assembly constituency, with three earlier cases in Nagari town and at Nindra mandal headquarters.
The rise in tally led to panic among denizens in several places of Nagari constituency. Roads became deserted with two hours still to go for the relaxation period to end.
At Nagari and Puttur, several supermarkets ran out of stock, forcing people to search frantically for provisions. By 11 a.m. sharp, police personnel took over vital junctions.