COVID-19: Prakasam tops State in day’s fatalities

With five deaths due to coronavirus infection in the last 24 hours ending 9 a.m. on Thursday, Prakasam district topped the State in daily fatalities. Nellore registered zero deaths in the said period, taking the total toll in the district to 965. The virus has claimed 1,978 lives in South Coastal Andhra Pradesh till date, according to a health bulletin released by the State government on Thursday.

The cumulative COVID-19 infection count in the region went up a little less than 2.66 lakh as 464 persons tested positive in the last 24 hours. As many as 507 patients recovered during the period as recoveries continued to outnumber the single-day tally.

The number of active cases increased to 2,514 in Nellore as 304 persons contracted the infection, while 240 patients recuperated during the period. In contrast, the number of active cases dipped by 112 to 2,218 in Prakasam district as 267 patients got cured in the last 24 hours during which only 160 persons got infected.

Recognising the importance of oxygen therapy for COVID-19 patients, the Nellore district administration has decided to make available 4,200 beds with oxygen facility to deal with the expected third wave of the pandemic.

Shortage of oxygen was glaring during April and May this year when patients poured into hospitals, Nellore Collector K.V.N. Chakradhar Babu said, while receiving medical equipment worth ₹13 lakh from the Siemens company representatives on Thursday. “So far, 1,466 oxygen concentrators have been collected from philanthropists and sent to COVID-19 hospitals. Many companies donated medical equipment worth more than ₹4 crore so far as part of their corporate social responsibility,” the Collector said.