Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has said that though the COVID-19 positivity and mortality rates in the State are below the national averages, the government is carrying out the tests extensively, particularly in the containment clusters, to curb the menace.

In a review meeting on Friday, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said that up to 90% of the tests were being conducted in the containment areas. He directed the officials to ensure that the call centres with ‘104’ and ‘14410’ numbers functioned effectively. The officials should also monitor the helpline performance regularly, he added.

The officials said that five to ten beds were made available at each Primary Health Centre (PCH) for people with severe respiratory problems, and the clinical protocols were being strictly followed.

Patients with fever and low oxygen levels were being immediately admitted to hospitals, and if the problems aggravated, the patients were being shifted to COVID hospitals.

While the national average positivity rate is 8.87%, the State’s average is 8.56%. In other States, is is as follows: Karnataka 9.88%, Tamil Nadu 9.26%, Maharashtra 19.36% and Delhi 12.75%. When it comes to mortality rate, the national average is 2.07%. It is 0.89% in A.P., 1.85% in Karnataka and 3.52% in Maharashtra.

Telemedicine

The Chief Minister asked about the telemedicine facility, and instructed the officials to call back the users to get the feedback and take corrective measures wherever required.

Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Health Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas, Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney, DGP Gautam Sawang, and Special Chief Secretary (medical and health) K.S. Jawahar Reddy were present.