Coronavirus cases continued to surge in south coastal Andhra Pradesh as 37 fresh cases were reported in SPSR Nellore and Prakasam districts in the last 24 hours.

SPSR Nellore district accounted 18 new cases. So is Prakasam district which reported an equal number of positive cases. A person from Kadapa also tested positive for the virus in Nellore.

Sangam accounted for four new cases followed by A.S. Peta and T.P. Gudur with three cases each, Nellore and Kavali with two cases each and Kovur, Vinjamur, Dubagunta and Kaligiri with one case each, a health bulletin issued by the Medical and health department said on Tuesday night.

In Prakasam district, seven persons who had returned from Chennai and four others from Hyderabad got infected.

Health officials were worried over the disease spreading to remote places and to those with no history of travel to COVID-19 hotspots in other States.

Four persons who had returned from Tamil Nadu to Machavaram village tested positive. So were two persons aged 40 and 35 from Angirekulapadu village, near Lingasamudram. A 33-year-old businessman on his return to Chirala from the metropolis also contracted the disease.

Four persons who had returned from Telangana capital to Venkatdirpalem, near Kandukur and another person to Kandulapuram village, near Cumbam, also tested positive for the dreaded virus. Two persons from Markapur town with no travel history to other places got infected. An equal number of persons in Ongole with no history of travel to COVID-19 hotspots contracted the disease.

Shops and other business establishments remained closed in Ongole where stringent lockdown was enforced by the authorities.

Vehicles seized

Restaurants which remained open after Unlock 2.0 was implemented downed the shutters once again. Police seized private vehicles, including autorickshaws, which plied in the morning hours to prevent unnecessary travel by people.

Civic officials went round the town urging people to remain indoors in view of the surge in fresh positive cases and sanitised the colonies that reported fresh cases.