AP Lifts Night Curfew as Covid Cases Decline

Amaravati: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy held a review meeting on the prevailing situation of Covid-19 and has lifted the night curfew in the State as positivity rate and the number of cases are comes down.

During the review meeting, the Chief Minister said that Covid precautions must be taken at all times, especially in the public and commercial spaces by wearing masks. He directed the authorities to continue the fever survey and told them to conduct tests for those with symptoms. Also, he stressed on achieving 100 percent vaccination in the State.

In regard to staff recruitments, the Chief Minister directed the authorities to complete the entire recruitments in the Medical and Health Department at the earliest, ensuring that all the hospitals are enabled with proper workforce with zero vacancies. He instructed the officials to separate both administrative and medical responsibilities in hospitals and hand over the administrative work to those having expertise in that field.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister announced to provide special incentives to specialist doctors and doctors working in tribal areas. In this context, the officials stated that 50 percent of the basic salary can be given as an incentive to specialist doctors and similarly for doctors, 30 percent of the basic pay can be given as a special incentive.

Meanwhile, elaborating details of Covid situation, the officials stated that the pandemic is gradually decreasing, where 794 patients are getting treated in hospitals while the number of positive‌ cases in the state have come down to 18,929, registering only 0.82 percent of Covid active cases. The positivity rate has also fallen to 3.29 percent from 17.07 percent and there were zero cases in almost 9581 village/wards secretariats.
On the vaccination front, the officials said that 3,90,83,148 people have been administered two doses of vaccination, and 39,04,927 were given a single dose. While the target for the precautionary dose is 15,02,841 and so far 11,84,608 people have been vaccinated. On a brighter note, the officials informed that 96.7 percent of vaccination was completed in the above 45 year age group and similarly 90.07 percent vaccination was done in people between 18-44 age group. For teens between 15-18 years 24.41 lakh have been administered with a single dose of vaccine, while 12.48 lakh have received their second dose of vaccine.

Deputy Chief Minister Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas (Nani), Chief secretary Dr Sameer Sharma, Principal Secretary of Health Department Anil Kumar Singhal, Principal Secretary of Health Department (Covid Management and Vaccination) Muddada Ravichandra, Covid Task Force Committee Chairman MT Krishnababu and others were present.