ONGOLE: Prakasam authorities were in for a rude shock on Tuesday after eight persons from the district tested positive for covid-19. With this, the tally in the district rose to 11, the highest in the state.
It was found that 10 of the 11 patients either had attended the religious congregation in Nizamuddin, Delhi in March or came in close contact with the attendees.As per official information, as many as 30 representatives, accompanied by their friends and families, of Tablighi Jamaat from Prakasam attended the congregation.
All put together, around 280 persons went to Delhi and returned on March 18 and 19.
The newly-detected infectees were among the 280 persons. Of the eight, three hail from Chirala and Karamchedu, three from Kandukur and one from Ongole.
The Ongole patient is from Indira Nagar colony and is the son of Patient 2, who tested positive along with his wife, after returning from the Delhi meet.
Meanwhile, the authorities were awaiting 72 more results.
Around 125 teams, comprising revenue, panchayat raj and police officials, were deployed to identify the Delhi-returnees and their relatives and friends.
As a large number of the Nizamuddin convocation attendees scattered soon after their arrival, the officials were worried sick that the numbers might rise abnormally in near future.
Establishment of quarantine camps has begun on war footing and 12 centres in 12 Assembly constituencies were set up overnight.
These centres have a combined capacity of 3,000 persons.
At present, around 700 persons, who either had travel history to Delhi or were close associates, were stationed in quarantine centres in Ongole, Chirala, Markapur and Kandukuru.
Apart from that, migrants were isolated at Addanki, Giddaluru, Chimakurthy, Darsi, Santhanuthalapadu, Kanigiri, Yerragondapalem and Kondepi centres.
All necessary precautionary measures were being taken at the areas of residences of all covid-19 new positive patients.
All areas within 300-metre radius of the residences of the infectees, were declared ‘red zones’. Sanitation staff were engaged in disinfecting the areas with bleaching powder and sodium hypochloride.
“We are taking all necessary steps to strengthen the surveillance for containment, prevention and control of cornavirus. As we brought all 1,056 foreign returnees under full medical surveillance, we thought that we might be able to put a stop to the rising numbers. But the Nizamuddin congregation attendees have sparked fear that the number of positive patients may go up further. However, we are fully prepared to deal with the situation and appeal to the public not to panic,” DMHO S Appala Naidu told TNIE.