Ongole: 132 participants in religious congregation traced

Ongole: Prakasam District Collector Pola Bhaskara on Tuesday announced that eight new positive cases of coronavirus were reported from the district and all of them participated in religious activity in New Delhi. He also said the administration would implement action plan to contain the spread of Covid-19 in all affected areas.

The district administration, the Collector said, traced 132 passengers, who went to New Delhi to participate in the religious meeting immediately after the couple from Chirala tested positive for COVID-19. Of the total 132 samples sent for tests, results are coming in a phased manner. The results received on Tuesday morning confirmed that there are eight positive cases. They included three cases from Kandukur, one case from Kanigiri, one from Karemchedu, one from Ongole and two more from Chirala. He hinted that there could be more positive cases.

The people with the symptoms are shifted to isolation and quarantine wards depending on the severity. Based on the situations, the administration would implement the containment plan in Markapuram, Ongole, Chirala, Parchuru, Kandukuru, and Kanigiri assembly constituencies.

Bhaskara also said they are scaling up the hospital preparedness plan, The KIMS and Sanghamitra hospitals in Ongole were designated as COVID-19 hospitals by taking them over. He said that the government general hospital would be used for the collection of samples and isolation of the suspects. He said the patients who tested positive would be shifted to Covid-19 hospital, he said. The Nalluri Hospital and Venkataramana hospital would also be taken over by the government depending on the requirement.

The Collector announced that the administration is procuring enough personal protection equipment for the staff. Tthe administration is also ready to provide free accommodation and food to the doctors, paramedics and lab technicians involved in the treatment if they require. He said that there is an arrangement of 3,500 beds in quarantine facilities in the district. He requested the people who had visited Delhi to come forward voluntarily for check-up.