Restrictions on movement in 19 mandals of Prakasam district

Ongole: Prakasam district Collector Dr Pola Bhaskara announced that in order to control and contain the coronavirus, the administration will be implementing local restrictions very soon in 19 mandals of the district, where Covid cases are on the rise after briefing the standard operational procedures to the Revenue, the Police and the Panchayat Raj staff.

Speaking to the press at Spandana Hall in the Collectorate on Wednesday, the Collector said that the number of Covid cases is increasing for the last two weeks in the district. He said that after assessing the situation and as part of the control and containment precautions, they will be implementing local restrictions on the movement of the public. He said that the people in the 19 mandals including Ongole urban, Markapuram urban, Ongole rural, Chirala urban, Tripurantakam, Kandukuru urban, Singarayakonda, Chirala rural, Parchuru, Naguluppalapadu, Kanigiri urban, Kanigiri rural, Addanki urban, Tanguturu, Vetapalem, Darsi, Markapuram rural, Karamchedu and Martur will be allowed to purchase any essential commodities from 6 am to 10 am in the morning and from 4pm to 6 pm in the evening, while the businesses and establishments will be forced to shut down their operations during the remaining time. He said that the restrictions will be implemented for 10 days, from the day they come into force.

The Collector also added that they will be conducting a special drive of vaccination on Thursday in the district. He said that they have vaccinated 3,26,334 persons in the district so far, including 36,822 people who received the two doses as on April 20. He said that the health care workers and frontline warriors who failed to get the second dose of the vaccine yet must get vaccinated on Thursday.

He informed that the district administration has taken all measures to provide treatment to the Covid patients. He asked the Covid-infected people to visit the medical officer first, who conducts the triaging procedure and suggests for the home isolation, stay at the Covid Care Centres or hospital, based on the severity of the symptoms. He added that there is no shortage of beds or oxygen supply for the patients in the district, but the 18 special officers are monitoring the situation to take the required decision. He suggested people to maintain appropriate Covid behaviour by wearing masks, cleaning and sanitising hands, and maintaining social distance to protect themselves and their families from the coronavirus infection.