Andhra confirms two new COVID-19 cases, tally rises to 23

Two new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Andhra Pradesh since Sunday night, taking the total count to 23, officials said on Monday.

A 49-year-old male from Kakinada and a 72-year-old male from Rajahmundry were the two latest patients to be infected in the state.

The health department said the travel details of the two patients were being traced. According to the medical bulletin by the department, 33 samples were tested since last night out of which two found positive.

Officials said out of the 23 patients, two have recovered. A 65-year-old male with travel history to Saudi Arabia, who was admitted to a hospital in Visakhapatnam on March 17 and tested positive for Covid-19, responded well to the treatment. The patient tested negative on Sunday and Monday.

Visakhapatnam district accounted for the highest number of positive cases (6), followed by Guntur and Krishna (4 each). Three cases each were reported from East Godavari and Prakasam and one each from Chittoor, Kurnool and Nellore.

A total of 29,672 foreign returnees are under surveillance. While 29, 494 are under home isolation, 178 are in hospitals.

The government has issued orders to establish additional sample collection centres in all private medical colleges designated as district Covid hospitals.