AP relaxes curfew in all districts; shops to close by 9 pm
The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday announced that the COVID-19 curfew restrictions would be relaxed across all 13 districts from 6 a.m to 10 p.m. All commercial establishments should be shut down by 9 p.m and curfew will be in place from 10 p.m, it said.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 12 July 2021 1:17 PM GMT
Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday announced that the COVID-19 curfew restrictions would be relaxed across all 13 districts from 6 a.m to 10 p.m. All commercial establishments should be shut down by 9 p.m and curfew will be in place from 10 p.m, it said.
During the COVID-19 review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy, it was decided to relax the curfew timings as the daily positivity rate has come down to less than five per cent. However, it is mandatory for every individual to wear face masks. A fine of Rs. 100 will be imposed against those not wearing masks in public places.
Also, if any shops and establishments violate the guidelines, they will be asked to close down for two-three days.
The Chief Minister instructed the officials to set up a WhatsApp number where people can send photos of anyone violating the rules. He also directed the officials to enforce Section 144 across the state to contain the spread of COVID-19 by restricting mass gatherings. Further, the government said physical distance of five feet should be maintained between individuals in all public places and establishments. Besides wearing masks, hand sanitization is mandatory for all staff and the general public. The additional guidelines will be issued by the medical and health department.
COVID testing
The Chief Minister instructed the officials to conduct COVID-19 tests for those who have fever and other symptoms. If they test positive, they should receive proper medical care, he said.
Jagan also directed the officials to complete the establishment of oxygen generation plants. The officials informed the CM of the work in progress at 134 oxygen generation plants at 97 locations and assured him they will be completed by the end of August.
Vaccination
Jagan directed the officials to focus on vaccination for teachers and complete it before the schools reopen. He asked them to vaccinate the teachers of both government and private schools and based on the availability of vaccines, consider vaccinating college students by organizing vaccination camps in colleges.
Besides these, Jagan directed the authorities to stay vigilant about non-COVID diseases and be prepared in the wake of the onset of the monsoon season. Warning of snake bites in the Machilipatnam and Avanigadda regions, he asked the officials to equip all PHCs with required medicines. Also, as diseases like dengue are likely to spread in the Agency areas during monsoon, he instructed the authorities to arrange for the required medicines at PHCs and ensure that those drugs meet WHO and GMP standards. He also ordered them to focus on the Nadu-Nedu initiative and complete the pending works.
COVID-19 situation in AP
The officials meanwhile informed the CM that there are 28,680 active cases in the state while 5,695 patients are being treated in hospitals and 4,976 people are being treated in COVID care centers. The officials said the recovery rate has increased to 97.83 per cent and the positivity rate has decreased to 2.91 per cent. They said the positivity rate is less than three per cent in seven districts and almost 92.91 per cent of patients in network hospitals are being treated under the Aarogyasri scheme.
The officials further said 3,876 black fungus cases were registered till date of which 324 persons died and 2,500 were discharged. Regarding vaccination, they said 1,31,43,873 people have been vaccinated in the state, of which 96,83,544 have received the first dose and 34,60,329 have completed both the doses.
