The Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday said that restrictions on inter-state travel will remain in place for the time being, given the high number of COVID-19 cases being reported in the state.
In a statement, Principal Secretary (Transport) MT Krishna Babu, who is also the Nodal Officer for the COVID-19 control room in the state, said that the restrictions will remain at the checkposts along the inter-state border, besides railway stations and airports.
The senior bureaucrat said that tests would be conducted on all those entering the state and people entering from six states that have been marked as 'high-risk' will need to undergo mandatory institutional quarantine for a week.
Vehicles that wish to enter the state by road have to visit the 'Spandana' website and take prior approval. They can also register themselves at border checkposts, railway stations and airports.
He also said that the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) was ready to resume operations between the districts in the state and Hyderabad, and vice versa, on a point-to-point basis. This would mean that the buses would only stop in Hyderabad after crossing the Andhra border.
However, the APSRTC is yet to get a nod from the Telangana government on the issue, he added.
Meanwhile, the total COVID-19 tally in Andhra rose to 4,659 as a total of 130 new coronavirus cases were detected in the state in a 24-hour period ending on Sunday morning. Two deaths were reported from Krishna and Kurnool districts, taking the death toll to 75.
On Sunday, 30 persons were discharged from hospitals, taking the tally of cured persons to 2,353. Active cases in the state climbed to 1,290, the state Nodal Officer said.
A medical bulletin issued by the Nodal Officer said that 17,695 more samples were tested in the 24 hours till 9 am on Sunday, compared to 12,771 tests done in the preceding cycle.
No new cases were detected among foreign returnees on Sunday. That tally remained 131, with active cases now at 126 as one more patient in this category was discharged on Sunday.
IANS inputs