Andhra Pradesh to provide each of its 5.3 crore people with three COVID-19 masks

CM Reddy for total lockdown extension in Red Zones only; advocates 'a lockdown with human touch'. While committing support to any decision of the Centre, Reddy wants 'the economy’s wheel be kept moving though at a slower pace.'

The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to distribute 16 crore masks with each of the 5.3 crore people in the state provided with three masks.

In a COVID-19 review meeting on Sunday, Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy has instructed the officials to expedite the distribution of the masks, “which provide some safety from the virus.”

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The focus on masks is as studies suggested that persons showing no symptoms are also testing positive later, spreading the virus in the meantime.

The state has, till Sunday morning, recorded 417 COVID-19 cases. While 25 are those of foreign returned and their contacts, 360 cases i.e. 86 percent of the total cases are connected to the Nizamuddin Markaz. 32 cases are those who had travelled to other states etc.

Also Read: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths

According to officials, a third round of health survey covering 1.43 crore households out of total 1.47 crore households in the state has identified 32,349 people for medical examination. While COVID-19 tests were prescribed for 9,107 among them, the Chief Minister “unwilling to take any chance in these testing times has asked officials to conduct tests on all the 32,349 people,” a CMO official said.

To assess the virus infection, the health department is planning 45,000 tests across the state focusing on the COVID-19 prevalent zones. The state has quarantined people in 141 containment clusters, spread in 11 districts that reported Covid-19 cases, to prevent further spread of the virus.

Calling for a special focus in the zones where COVID-19 is rife, the Chief Minister instructed officials to prioritize high-risk patients like senior citizens, diabetics.

Reddy for total lockdown extension in Red Zones only

In his Saturday’s video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Reddy said that out of 676 mandals of the state, 37 were declared as red zones and 44 as orange zones. “No effect of Coronavirus on 595 mandals in the green zone.”

“As the economic activity should go on, we are of the opinion that lockdown be implemented in red zones while social distancing etc., measures are maintained in other places,” Reddy has said, according to a CMO statement.

AP has set up one COVID-19 hospital in each of the 13 districts and isolation centres with 26,000 beds.

Reddy advocated “a lockdown with a human touch.” While committing support to any decision of the Centre, Reddy at the same time opined that “the economy’s wheel should be kept moving though at a slower pace.”

“Agriculture, aqua and horticulture are badly hit as farmers are unable to sell their produce because of the transport restrictions. Godowns are full, making further storage a problem, the CM told the PM.