Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh became the second worst-affected state due to coronavirus in India as it surpassed Tamil Nadu, recording over 4,24,000 coronavirus cases. The state reported over 10,000 Covid-19 cases for the fifth straight day on Monday, taking the total count to 4,24,767 - behind only Maharashtra.
Tamil Nadu has reported over 4,16,000 Covid-19 cases till now. A total of 36,66,422 tests have been done in Andhra Pradesh while the positivity rate stands at 11.59 per cent, third highest in the country after Maharashtra and Karnataka. Tamil Nadu's positivity rate stands at 8.93 per cent.
Andhra Pradesh has one of the highest Covid-19 test rates in India, conducting around 68,660 tests per million. The latest bulletin of the Andhra Pradesh government said 9,067 patients got cured and discharged from hospitals across the state while 88 more died due to the pandemic. About 3,21,754 people have recovered from the disease in the state till now.
The number of active cases in the state is now just short of the one lakh mark, at 99,129 on Sunday.
East Godavari and SPS Nellore continued to report cases in excess of 1,000 while West Godavari, Kadapa and Chittoor added over 900 each in 24 hours.
Tamil Nadu extends lockdown
Tamil Nadu has extended its coronavirus lockdown to September 30 but has also announced major relaxations, including resuming intra-state bus services from September 1 and Chennai metro services from September 7. Among other relaxations are the re-opening of hotels, resorts, shopping malls and places of worship from September 1, the scrapping of "total lockdown" on Sunday and allowing shops outside containment zones to stay open till 8 pm. Industries, government offices and banks will be allowed to function with 100 per cent of staff; they had previously been limited to 50 per cent. However, all workplaces are being advised to continue work-from-home if possible.
As many as 50 incoming flights will be allowed to land at Chennai airport. Inter-state trains on chosen routes have been permitted. A decision on intra-state trains will be taken after September 15, the government said. The Tamil Nadu government has also revoked the e-pass system for intra-state travel, in line with "Unlock 4" guidelines released by the Centre. The central government had said people were no longer required to get permission, or register on government websites, to travel within the country.
E-passes will, however, continue to be required for people arriving in the state by air or rail, and travel to Ooty and Kodaikanal and other hill stations. All relaxations will require adherence to SOPs (standard operating procedures) to minimise contact between people and spread of the Covid virus.
