Anantapur Collector Gandham Chandrudu, who had visited COVID-19 positive patients at the KIMS Saveera COVID-19 Hospital last week wearing personal protection equipment (PPE), underwent a screening test for coronavirus by voluntarily submitting a throat swab sample on Wednesday. His result came back negative on Thursday.
Mr. Chandrudu’s visit to the hospital, meant to boost the morale of COVID-19 patients as well as the medical staff, invited mixed reactions. While some appreciated the gesture, there were others who said it was uncalled-for.
The Collector told The Hindu that he wanted to send out a message that there is no stigma attached with getting tested for COVID-19, and urged people to come forward and get tested if they think they are experiencing any symptoms of coronavirus.
He urged people not to spread fake news or rumours on anything related to COVID-19 or about the happenings in the containment zones, and asked them to instead focus on thanking the frontline staff for the services they were rendering at a time of crisis.
Appreciating the people of the district for their cooperation in the implementation of the lockdown, Mr. Chandrudu said that the efforts were paying off with the growth in positive cases being low.