With COVID-19 cases increase manifold in June, the number of red zones is on the rise all over Chittoor district, which is inching towards the 1,400-mark, with the outbreak of 50 new cases by Monday afternoon. The district had so far reported six deaths.

The spread, which remained confined to Srikalahasti, Tirupati and Nagari Assembly Constituencies in April, has now spared just two of the 66 mandals.

On Sunday, the remote Tamballapalle mandal, which remained untouched by the virus, recorded new cases.

Special teams

Nine new cases were reported in the industrial belt of Sri City spread over Satyavedu and Varadaiahpalem mandals, in addition to the 33 cases last week.

In Chittoor municipal corporation limits, five new cases emerged on Monday, taking the number of active red zones to 35, in addition to 20 more in the surrounding mandals.

Poor response

“After strict surveillance, we are able to remove five red zones under the corporation limits. With steady increase in the cases, the red zones are also mounting in the corporation. Special teams are being formed to monitor public movement in the areas,” Deputy SP (Chittoor) K. Eeshwar Reddy said.

Madanapalle police sub-division has 28 active red zones, a majority of which were formed in June alone. Deputy SP A. Ravi Manohar Achari said that the virus had spread fast all over Madanapalle region.

“Despite police surveillance, there is poor response from the public to COVID-19 guidelines. In view of public safety, we are enforcing the guidelines to a large extent,” Mr. Achari said.

While the virus is raging in the eastern and parts of western mandals, Palamaner sub-division could see some respite in the cases in June. V. Kota mandal, which witnessed close to 50 cases in May and April, all linked to Koyambedu market, is now “comfortable” with just a couple of active cases. Kuppam which remained COVID-19 free till the second week of June, now has 10 active cases.

Despite growing number of cases in Puttur sub-division, with 62 red zones, and over 200 cases, observance of the COVID-19 guidelines in Puttur, Nagalapuram, Satyavedu, Nagari and Karveti Nagaram is considerably disappointing, particularly the social distance norm at public places.

Crowding at shops

Meat shops continue to lure a large number of people, hardly following the guidelines. Deputy SP D. Muraliddhar said police teams had been posted at all vital junctions in the sub-division from Satyavedu to S.R. Puram to enforce the mask rule.