Published 22:17 IST, April 12th 2020
Andhra Pradesh: 1 person to get 3 masks; 45,000 tests to be conducted amid COVID-19 crisis
In the thick of Coronavirus, Andhra Pradesh government has decided to provide three masks to each of 5.3 crore people of the State.
- India News
- 3 min read
Amid the Coronavirus crisis, Andhra Pradesh government has decided to provide three masks to each of 5.3 crore people of the state. This comes as there are 417 active cases in the state. Among the active cases, 13 are foreign returnees, 12 are infected from the foreign returnees, 199 are Markaz returnees, 161 are those who came in contact with Markaz returnees, and 32 cases are those who returned from other states and got infected through other means.
According to an official statement, during a review meeting held on Sunday, the Chief Minister instructed the officials to "distribute three masks each to 5.3 crore people of the State."
During the meeting, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was informed that 1.43 crore were mapped during the third survey. During the survey, 32,349 people were referred to a medical examination by the field staff.
The officials have been instructed to prioritise high-risk patients such as senior citizens and diabetic patients. To assess the level of virus infection in the state, the Health Department is going to conduct 45,000 tests across the state prioritising the
COVID-19 prevalent zones. The Chief Minister said that markings are mandatory at the supermarkets, shops, and Rythu Bazaars so that social distancing is maintained.
CM Reddy assures support to PM Modi for extension of lockdown
On Saturday, Jagan Mohan Reddy assured his support if Prime Minister Narendra Modi decides to extend the lockdown. Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with chief ministers of all states on Saturday via video conference. The meeting's main agenda was to decide whether to extend the 21-day lockdown, which is ending on April 14. To check the spread of Coronavirus, PM Modi had on March 25 announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown.
During the course of the PM's interaction with chief ministers across the country, the Andhra Pradesh CM apprised him of the measures taken in the state and the impact of the lockdown on the farming activities in the state. Reddy pointed out that the state is largely agrarian contributing to 35 per cent of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and employing nearly 65 per cent of the workforce. He further apprehended that lakhs of farm-families stare at destitution if the present circumstances continued.
Updated 22:17 IST, April 12th 2020