'Out of 61,266 COVID-19 tests conducted in Andhra, 1.66 pc came out positive'

Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) [India], April 26 (ANI): Special Chief Secretary Medical and Health KS Jawahar Reddy on Saturday said that 1.66 per cent samples have tested positive out of the 61,266 tests conducted for COVID-19 in Andhra Pradesh.
Addressing media here, Reddy said, "The positive rate of COVID-19 in Andhra Pradesh is only at 1.66 per cent from the total 61,266 tests conducted when compared to other states like Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh."
He said that the officials of the health department are on the lines of providing advanced treatment for COVID-19 cases to overcome emergency situations.
In this regard, the officials are going to use nearly 1,900 pulse oximeters in all COVID-19 hospitals to help in monitoring the oxygen levels of the patients, Reddy added.
"People who are experiencing breathlessness or having shortness of breath are advised to seek medical help by calling 104 helpline and the samples will be taken at the doorstep. With early detection, fatalities can be reduced," he said.
"With the recent recruitment notification, the state government recruited 1,170 medical staff especially for COVID-19 cases and deployed them to various districts based on the severity of the situation. Additionally, as many as 22,600 people including NCC, NSS, pharmacists and the general public have come forward and registered for voluntary services. We are extremely overwhelmed and thankful for this huge response from the public," he further said.
Reddy also said that the state government is primarily focusing on extensive testing, "where Andhra Pradesh stands first in the country with an average of 1,147 tests per million people."
Across the state, 61 new cases were recorded in the past 24 hours, out of which 51 are from the old clusters while the rest 10 cases are from the new clusters. With this, the total number of clusters increased to 196 from the existing 189, Reddy informed.
On the other hand, 718 patients who require dialysis are being sent to other nearby hospitals in the state to keep them safe from COVID-19. (ANI)