In an indication that fresh COVID-19 cases are waning in Andhra Pradesh, the state on Monday, April 4, reported only one new infection, taking the total official tally since the onset of the pandemic to 23,19,578. The official COVID-19 death toll remained at 14,730, as no new fatality was reported during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am on Monday, a health bulletin said. The lone case was reported in the East Godavari district.

With 32 patients being recuperated, the total number of active cases stood at 119. The total recoveries stood at 23,04,729, the bulletin said. As many as 2,726 samples were tested on April 4. No media bulletin was issued for two consecutive days before this, on April 2 and 3. Prior to that, the health bulletin released on April 1 showed that 28 new COVID-19 cases and no COVID-19 deaths had been recorded by the state COVID-19 Command Control Room.

In the last week of March, the number of cases recorded daily ranged from 5 cases a day to 41 cases, with an average of 23 cases per day. 

In neighbouring Telangana too, Director of Public Health G Srinivasa Rao recently said that  the COVID-19 situation is fully under control in the state with only 30-40 cases being reported daily. He said that wearing masks is a “personal choice” from now on for everyone other than elderly persons above 60 years of age and those with comorbidities. 

He said that even among the general population, the rules continue to say that masks are mandatory. “But since it cannot be enforced on all, please advise people to take individual responsibility. Especially when you go to crowded places like malls, and markets, you are requested to wear a mask. It’s your personal choice, for those who are not elderly and don’t have comorbidities,” he said. 

With PTI inputs