Everyone returning to Andhra Pradesh from other states will be screened for COVID-19, and those who test positive will be moved to quarantine centres before going on to their native places, the state government said in a statement. In a review meeting held by Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy with health department officials and others, it was decided that an action plan must be chalked out for thorough screening of those returning from other states.
People returning from other countries are expected to have a ‘non COVID-19’ certificate, and will be sent to home quarantine.
Previously, in the initial stages of the lockdown, Andhra Pradesh natives who had tried to enter the state from neighbouring states of Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were all sent to quarantine facilities for 14 days before being allowed to go home. CM Jagan had appealed to Andhra natives to remain where they were and to avoid travelling to their hometowns.
At the same time, the state government has also set up a helpline to aid migrant workers from other states who are currently stranded in Andhra Pradesh. More than 12,700 migrant workers from other states have expressed their wish to travel back home, since the restrictions on inter-state travel were eased.
On Friday, around 900 fishermen who had been stranded on their boats in Gujarat since the beginning of the lockdown, were brought back to Andhra Pradesh by road. Most of the fishermen belong to the northern districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, and Visakhapatnam. Officials said that the fishermen would all be screened before being sent home.
As of Friday, the state had tested 1,02,460 samples in total for COVID-19. Special Chief Secretary (Health) Jawahar Reddy said that the state has a low positivity rate in testing, with a total of 1,463 cases recorded in the state so far. While most new cases were limited to red zones, on Friday, three new clusters were identified. Nearly 72% of the total positive cases so far have been from Kurnool, Guntur, Krishna and Nellore districts, Jawahar Reddy said.