Panic grips Anantapur as cases race towards 6,000 mark

Anantapur: Fear psychosis has gripped the people of district once again and the careless ones who are lethargic on taking preventive and precautionary measures regarding Covid pandemic are now dreading the virus even as it is fast spreading its tentacles.

Thousands of citizens who roamed on the roads and streets without a face mask and mingling freely with scant respect for social distance are now dreading the virus as coronavirus had cast its spell over the people since 3 weeks right from the day one of April Fool's day. On Sunday alone 5 deaths were reported. However, no one is prepared for a complete lockdown as it is viewed as a dark era which reduced large sections of people into paupers.

Corona positive cases which started registering in tens in the first week of April, now has recorded a whopping 1,201 positive cases out of the 7,000 odd samples collected in the past few days in the city alone while the district reported active cases of nearly 6,000 cases. About 500 positive patients are under treatment in the district government general hospital, 300 in super speciality hospital, 100 in cancer hospital. Besides, 4,900 are in home isolation and 200 in covid care centres. For the first time since Saturday, dreaded citizens are off the roads from 8 pm while in residential areas, the streets wear a deserted look with none venturing to come out of their homes.

The eating points, restaurants, Kabab houses, tea points which were once teeming with life have thinned down and very few could be seen sitting and chatting. JNTU hostels were vacated and sent to their homes with an instruction to be available for online teaching. JNTUA Covid Care Centre with 200 beds have been revived. The City GGH with 1,000 beds have been declared as totally a Covid Hospital with 700 beds reserved for covid patients and 300 for maternity wards for women. Several trade and business associations have voluntarily announced their closure of business after 5 pm in view of the virus ruling the roost in the district.

Collector Gandham Chandrudu with a foresight on the requirement for oxygen supply, which is crucial for covid patients, particularly suffering from respiratory problems, had during the first phase of Covid-19 way back in March 2020 itself embarked on setting up of 0-53 metric tonnes of production plants. Now, his foresight is reaping results during the second wave. Oxygen plants have been set up in Anantapur GGH with 13 mt with 852 oxygen lines, Super speciality hospital with 13 mt with 325 oxygen lines, Cancer hospital 6 mt and 207 oxygen lines, Guntakal hospital, RDT, Saveera and Kadiri area hospital with 136, 350, 202 and 114 oxygen lines respectively are made available.

That's the reason why many had been saved from death. The collector also issued stern warning to private hospitals on collection of exorbitant fees for clinical examinations including CT Scan etc. Private hospitals have asked to exhibit government fixed fees in full public view. Meanwhile Superintendent of Police B Sathya Yesu Babu has exhorted policemen involved in their duties to be vigilant and take preventive steps to be on the safe side in the light of Covid pandemic ruling the roost. The SP also warned people against venturing out during the nights from 9 pm and 5 am on any day.