COVID-19: Andhra Pradesh adopts four-pronged strategy to aggressively trace coronavirus suspects, curb virus spread
25 April, 2020 | newsx bureau
COVID-19: Andhra Pradesh's Jagan Mohan Reddy government has adopted a four-pronged strategy of tracing, testing, treatment, and lockdown to trace coronavirus suspects, curb the spread of virus.
To combat the spread of COVID-19 aka coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh, Jagan Mohan Reddy government has adopted a four-pronged strategy of tracing, testing, treatment, and lockdown in the red zones to contain. Since its an agrarian based state, many people rely on the government for their livelihood and welfare pensions and other schemes. An official told media that the Chief Minister has been constantly monitoring the situation and pressing official machinery into action. The government is taking all necessary steps to ensure food for the poor, and movement of agricultural and aqua produce with farmers getting MSP and rabi crop being purchased directly, avoiding middlemen.
Andhra Pradesh was the first state to conduct maximum number of coronavirus tests per million in the country and has acquired in required number the equipment, from testing kits to labs and PPEs (Personal Protection Equipment), ventilators, quarantine facilities dedicated COVID-19 hospitals.
Reports said Andhra Pradesh doctors have been using TB testing kits to detect coronavirus. An official said the state is well equipped to tackle the situation and the government will distribute 16 crore masks, 3 to every individual in the state.
Although, Chief Minister has been supporting the decision of the nationawide lockdown but added that it has halted the livelihood. CM said the state government is providing ration three times in a month free of cost which puts an extra burden of Rs 1125 crore.
An additional financial assistance of Rs 1,000 is also being provided for every poor family which amounts up to Rs 1470 crore burden on the state exechequor.
The state has included COVID-19 under Aarogyasri scheme, added CM.
The Special Chief Secretary for Health K S Jawahar Reddy said “we will analyse every case and we take care of minimising the deaths and and see the causes for the deaths also. The state is spending Rs 500 for bed and food every day, Rs 100 for other expenses and Rs 600 to and charges for those who are in quarantine centers besides providing Rs 2,000 to poor while leaving the quarantine center. its the reason many people are coming forward for testing.”