Officials gearing up to face stage-III outbreak of COVID-19, says Minister

‘We are getting ready at least 1,200 beds for quarantine’

Tourism Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao said that the district was gearing up to handle a stage-III outbreak of COVID-19.

As of now we are still in the Stage-II, where the infected are mostly foreign returned. But to handle further eventualities, we are getting ready at least 1,200 beds for quarantine, he said.

According to him, Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) has about 400 beds and another 800 have been identified at GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research and Gayatri Vidya Parishad Medical College.

This apart, for isolation we have around 100 beds in Government Hospital for Chest and Communicable Disease and KGH and another 20-bed facility is being created at VIMS, he said. About 20 ventilators have been kept ready.

Talking about the present status, he said that 31 people are in quarantine in VIMS and the daughter of the positive person has developed systems. “We are monitoring her, as both her mother and father have tested positive and are recovering,” he said. He also informed that all the 31 at VIMS are foreign returnees, including one from China.

One more foreign-returned case from Bheemunipatnam with symptoms have been admitted into the isolation ward, said Mr. Srinivasa Rao.

“We are also approaching a few private hospitals for setting up quarantine and isolation wards,” he said.

Social responsibility

The Minister appealed to the people to remain calm and be more responsible.

“This cannot be tackled merely by enforcement. People have to cooperate with the government machinery. When it is told to maintain social isolation, it should be adhered to, as this is the only way to beat the crisis,” he said.

He also appealed to people who have come from abroad in the recent times and those who have come into contact with them, to go into voluntary quarantine or disclose their health status to the MRO or approach the hospital or officials concerned.

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