Anantapur: Declare health emergency to contain Covid-19

Anantapur: The district has gained the dubious distinction of being on top by registering largest number of Covid-19 positive cases followed by Chittoor district which occupied second place and East Godavari third place.

The district, which was on the lower side three months ago in the state, has now 3,290 positive cases. That explains why the district is reeling under a second partial lockdown. The lethargic attitude of people is one reason why the cases are increasing. Lethargy stemmed out of fearless that the virus has not claimed lives at an alarming scale.

In the beginning a fear psychosis gripped the district just as anywhere else after watching thousands die in Spain, Italy and the USA. The people after the lockdown period realised that deaths are minimal in the country as well as in the district and that had triggered callousness resulting in the district climbing to top position for the wrong reasons.

In one-day alone 129 new positive cases has been added on Sunday. Presently 1,373 positive cases are under treatment in the Covid hospitals while 1,893, who recovered were discharged, according to district collector Gandham Chandrudu.

The total number of Covid deaths stand at 24. So far, 84,000 blood samples had been taken for testing. The plan of district administration is to cover all who are 60 and above for corona tests in the district. The district has 25 containment zones in Anantapur and Hindupur towns.

Meanwhile, Praja Science Vedika state president Dr M Suresh Babu has demanded that the district administration declare a health emergency to contain the Covid-19 explosion in the district.

In a statement, the Vedika opined that all private hospitals should be brought under the administrative control of the district administration for fine tuning the hospitals to treat positive patients on a priority basis as the private hospitals are shying away from treating Covid-19 cases.