ONGOLE: The total number of Covid-19 cases in Prakasam district rose to 63 after a gap of two weeks. Two new cases were reported from Ongole Municipal Corporation (OMC) limits on Sunday. 

While one of them is a 56-year-old from Gopal Nagar area who contracted coronavirus from an infectee, the other patient is a 25-year-old women ward volunteer from Indiramma Colony in Ongole.

With the addition of the two cases, the isolation ward at the Ongole Government General Hospital (GGH) has three positive patients. The health condition of all the patients is said to be stable. 

Both Gopal Nagar and Indiramma Colony have been declared as red zones. Meanwhile, the district authorities have received necessary chemical reagents for operation of Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) machine test lab established at the Ongole GGH. They intend to put it to use from Monday. 

“With the new CLIA testing facility, we can test 500 samples per day. It will boost our testing capacity and help us in the containment of the virus. We are awaiting results of around 3,000 samples,” Dr. T Murali Krishna Reddy said. As there has been a significant decline in coronavirus  cases being reported in the district, and with most of the infectees now recovered, the Medical and Health authorities are focusing on re-starting other medical services.