VISAKHAPATNAM: Dismissing claims that the actual coronavirus count was not being revealed, Andhra Medical College (AMC) principal PV Sudhakar said  there was no instance in which information of a positive case was kept secret in Visakhapatnam.

The AMC principal, in a statement here on Tuesday, dismissed the charges that certain information was not being made public so as to promote Visakhapatnam as a safe place in view of the proposal to locate the executive capital to the city. “All details are being disclosed. Such information cannot be hidden as infectees have to undergo treatment either in district or state Covid hospital,” he said.

He noted that details of all cases had to be uploaded on the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) portal. “Owing to the online system, once the case details are uploaded, they become open and official. It is also mandatory to post details of the test results of the cases on the portal. Hence there is no possibility of hiding any case.” Stating that some reports in media claiming that Covid cases were being underplayed were far from the truth, he said even when they disclosed such details, there were claims that the same was done under pressure.

He added, there was neither pressure nor any attempt to keep the cases hidden.  He cited residents’ discipline in following the lockdown norms as the reason for the low coronavirus count in Visakhapatnam. “People in containment zones cooperated with the district administration to check the spread of coronavirus by preventing local transmission.”  He stated that the authorities will announce if and when a coronavirus case is reported in the future. “It is the responsibility of every citizen to protect the city and the district from the pandemic and everyone should take a vow in this regard.”