Dusk-to-Dawn curfew in Andhra Pradesh from Monday

Amaravati: The lockdown rules in Andhra Pradesh except in East Godavari district would be further relaxed from Monday.

Following a review meeting on the Covid-19 situation held on Thursday, the government decided to relax the curfew timings from 6 am to 6 pm from Monday. As far as East Godavari district is concerned, the existing timings of lockdown from 6 am to 2 pm will continue as the number of positive cases continue to be high in this district.

As per the latest decision, like in Telangana, shops, and business establishments should close by 5 pm and the curfew should be implemented strictly from 6 pm to 6 am. The Chief Minister directed the officials to expedite the works of construction of new 350-tonne liquid oxygen manufacturing plant so that the State will attain self-sufficiency in the availability of medical oxygen.

The officials informed the Chief Minister that 10-kilolitre oxygen tankers are being made available in hospitals with 100 or above bed hospitals. Andhra Pradesh stood second in the country with the lowest mortality rate with 0.66 per cent death rate, positivity rate is 5.99 per cent, the recovery rate is 95.53 per cent and added that the active cases were reduced to 69,831 cases, they said.

The officials said 2,562 ICU beds were available and added that 13,738 oxygen beds were available at present while they were only 433 as of May 17. More than 12,000 general beds were available at present while they were 4,978 on May 14, the officials said and added that the lowest positivity rate of 2.58 per cent is registered on Kurnool district and it was the highest in East Godavari district with 12.25 per cent.

The officials said 90.54 per cent of beds were allotted under Aarogyasri in network hospitals and there were 7,056 patients in Covid care centres. They said 2,584 black fungus cases were registered so far of which 185 people died and added that 976 people were discharged and 1,455 people are being treated.