Visakhapatnam: No mechanism in place to control spread of Covid-19

Visakhapatnam: Surge in the coronavirus cases continues unabated, signalling third wave and Visakhapatnam district, which draws a maximum number of tourists, tops the State with regard to surfacing of fresh cases. Laxity appears apparent both among the public and the authorities concerned for the prevailing situation.

While people are not adhering to Covid safety norms, the district administration lags behind in taking concrete measures to prevent the spread of infections.

Though the district machinery increased the bed capacity, oxygen facilities and other required infrastructure in hospitals to meet any contingency, the focus on controlling the spread of the pandemic, however, seems to be missing. Notwithstanding the daily Covid cases crossing 1,000 on an average, the testing count is not up to the mark.

Except on January 13 where the testing exceeded 4,000, the rest of the days in the past one week did not cross more than 2,000 to 3,000. "Even to get Covid-19 testing done, we have no clue which centres need to be approached. In such a scenario, we are only dependent on the private labs for getting the tests done," says PS Raju, a bank employee.

When Covid tests were held at Visakhapatnam Steel General Hospital in Ukkunagaram, the positivity rate showed 40 to 50 per cent. The count of the asymptomatic carriers and those with mild symptoms is beyond estimation.

Be it in schools, colleges, restaurants and public gatherings, mask culture has taken a huge hit. Social distancing has become a passe. Earlier, those who step out of their houses without a mask were fined. But now, there is no proper monitoring mechanism in place. Experts stress that Covid appropriate behaviour cannot be taken for granted and complacency is a dangerous sign at this juncture.

Meanwhile, several political leaders and the top officials in the district have been infected with the virus. The list seems to be pretty long and it includes Tourism Minister M Srinivasa Rao, District Collector A Mallikarjuna, Municipal Commissioner G Lakshmisha and District Medical and Health Officer S Tirupathi Rao. Even at the Collectorate and GVMC office, a number of officials got infected with Covid-19. Keeping this in view, the weekly grievance redressal programme 'Spandana' was cancelled on Monday.

With the festival season coming to a close and employees from various destinations heading back to the port city for work, there is a larger scope for the emergence of an increased number of coronavirus cases in the coming days.

Given the current scenario, there is a need to firm up preventive measures in order to control the positivity rate in the district and consider concrete steps to bring down the daily caseload which is spreading like a wildfire.