Andhra Pradesh recorded its first case of death due to COVID-19 as a 55-year-old man passed away at the Vijayawada Government General Hospital on Monday. According to a bulletin released by the state government, the man had visited the GGH around 11.30 am on March 30 for a check-up, and passed away within an hour.
As the patient also had other conditions including hypertension, diabetes and cardiac issues, there was a delay in ascertaining the cause of his death. However, on Friday, it was concluded that the man died due to COVID-19.
The man’s son had recently returned from Delhi to Vijayawada on March 17. The son was tested for coronavirus on March 31, and the samples tested positive. The bulletin says that the father might have been infected through his son.
The bulletin also says that after he visited the hospital, the man’s swab samples were collected and sent for testing within an hour. However, he died during this period. The patient hails from Kummaripalem village, located on the outskirts of Vijayawada. Twenty-nine people who had come into contact with him have been traced and placed under quarantine.
The flight details of his son have also been shared with the Central government, the bulletin said. Further details about his travel details are being ascertained.
As of 10 am on Friday, the state has recorded a total of 161 positive cases of COVID-19. Nellore district recorded the highest number of cases (32), followed by Krishna (23) and Guntur (20). There have been no cases from Srikakulam and Vizianagaram.
As of Thursday morning, Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy said that 111 cases in the state were related to the Tablighi Jamaat meeting in Delhi. Of these, 91 cases were people who had travelled to Delhi themselves, while 20 cases were their contacts.
So far, three people in the state have recovered and been discharged. The third patient was discharged from the Kakinada GGH on Friday morning.