Visakhapatnam district health officials conduct around 1,000 COVID-19 tests

Visakhapatnam District Medical and Health officials have conducted around 1,000 tests to check the COVID-19 status in the district till Saturday. The tests were started on December 26.

As on January 6, the authorities found 62 COVID-19 positive cases. In the wake of the severity across the State in the third and fourth weeks of December last, including reports of deaths in States like Kerala, the State government ordered the conduct of the Rapid Antigen and RTPCR tests. Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy also specially reviewed the situation of the COVID-19 controlling methods during the fourth week of December.

A senior health official said that except for the comorbid COVID death of a woman last month from the KGH here, there have been no serious cases of COVID-19 in the district so far. The patients who tested positive had travel history to the US and Goa, he added.

“However, as on Friday (January 5), only four patients were treated in hospitals while 29 patients were treated at their homes. The positivity rate was 5.65%. We think that the cases are slowing down. Reason; on Friday, 83 people were tested and zero positive cases were reported. On Saturday out of 55 tests, 10 people were tested positive ” the health official told The Hindu on Saturday.

Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) Director Rambabu said that people should be alert in public gatherings. As the Sankranti festival is around the corner, people should be more careful. People have to to enjoy the festival, but with due caution, he advised.

According to the latest reports of the Union Ministry of Health, two cases of the new sub-variant JN.1 were detected in neighbouring Odisha on Friday (January 5), from the areas Sundargarh and Bhubaneswar.

“Odisha is our neighbouring State and many people from the city usually travel to Odisha regularly and tourists from Odisha also frequently visit the city during holidays, including the ensuing Sankranti festival, so people should be careful. Appropriate measures should be taken to prevent the rise of COVID,” an Andhra Medical College Professor told The Hindu on Saturday.