One more COVID-19 positive case was recorded from Thatichetlapalem area on Wednesday night, a health bulletin said on Thursday.
The patient, a 30-year-old woman, is a close contact of a COVID-19 patient who recently discharged from GITAM Institute of Medical Science and Research (GIMSR) after treatment.
With the new case, the total number of positive cases reported from the city has gone up to 22. With 19 patients being discharged after treatment, the active cases are three.
Contact tracing
According to officials, the woman, along with five others of the same family, were shifted to Government Hospital for Chest and Communicable Diseases (GHCCD) on April 06, after one of their close contact, who returned from Mumbai, tested positive. Apart from the woman, all the other five including the primary contact had tested positive and were treated at GITAM Institute of Medical and Science Research (GIMSR).
Last week, all the five persons were discharged after their samples tested negative. However, the Rapid Response Teams (RRT) had collected samples of all the persons again and sent for testing as part of the protocol.
“On Wednesday, results of all the persons reported negative, expect for the woman. All the family members, including the 18-month-old son of the woman, have been put under quarantine once again,” said Andhra Medical College principal Dr. P.V. Sudhakar.
Strict enforcement
Soon after the reports of the woman tested positive, GVMC Chief Medical and Officer of Health K.S.L.G. Sastry rushed to the spot. A sanitation drive was undertaken. Spraying operations were conducted with sodium hypochlorite solution. The sanitary workers, ward volunteers in the zone were alerted about the new case. The entire area, which has already been declared a containment zone, has been put under strict enforcement.
According to Dr. Sudhakar, about 7,000 persons have been tested from April 6 till date. “Visakhapatnam leads all districts when it comes to number of tests,” he said. It is also learnt that results for 500 samples that were collected on Thursday are awaited.