Vijayawada: In view of arresting the COVID-19 surge, the Andhra Pradesh government has announced a night curfew in the state from Saturday.
Stringent restrictions will be imposed from 10 pm - 5 am in all 13 districts. Strict action will be taken against those violating the curfew orders under the Disaster Management Act.
As per the government order, all businesses and commercial establishments, shops, restaurants and hotels shall remain closed. The enforcing authorities have threatened to cancel the license of those establishments that run their business in violation of the norms. The government has permitted the functioning of hospitals, pharmacies, print and electronic media, cable services, electricity, petrol stations and some essential services.
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In the last 24 hours, Andhra Pradesh registered 11,698 fresh cases. In the same period, 37 people were declared dead due to COVID-19. The total number of cases registered in the state till date are 10,20,926. As on Saturday, there are 81,471 active cases.
On Saturday, six people died, each in East Godavari and Nellore districts, four each in Anantapuram and Chittoor districts, three each in Srikakulam and West Godavari, two each in Guntur, Krishna, Kurnool, Vishakapatnam and Vizianagaram districts and one in Prakasam district.
Prakasam district
The demand for beds in government hospitals is rapidly increasing as the hospitals are witnessing a mad rush. People, carrying oxygen cylinders and waring masks, waiting for their turn from morning to the evening were seen.
Krishna district
The Vijayawada Government Hospital mortuary has a capacity to house 12 bodies. However, the impact of COVID-19 is such that the hospital authorities are compelled to accommodate 70-80 bodies a day on average. To make things worse, the medical staff complained that relatives of the deceased patients do not arrive on time to take away the bodies. On Saturday, an agricultural labourer from Peda Avutapally killed himself fearing that he was infected by COVID-19.
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Chittoor and Kadapa districts
In a bid to raise awareness among the people and sensitise them towards wearing masks and maintaining social distancing, the Street Vendors' Federation staged a street play. Some of the members dressed as Yamadharma - the Hindu God of death and justice - and demonstrated to people how the virus spreads.
Srikakulam and Vizianagaram
In Srikakulam district, a Zilla Parishad school was shut after a teacher tested positive for COVID-19.
A large number of migrant labourers from Odisha, who were residing in various parts of Vizianagaram district, began walking back to their native fearing a surge in the number of cases and another lockdown.
