The Andhra Pradesh government will adopt a three-pronged strategy to check the spread of coronavirus, with emphasis on social isolation while effectively enforcing the lockdown.
As the spread of the disease was found to be high only in urban areas with 12 out of 13 positive cases so far reported from cities and towns in the state special focus would be on tracking all the foreign returnees and placing them in quarantine.
The five-member Group of Ministers constituted for COVID-19 management measures met in Amaravati on Saturday and discussed the strategies to contain the disease spread.
The GoM later conferred with Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and reviewed the measures already in place and the fresh steps required.
The government said that it would strictly implement social isolation, ensure a continuous supply chain of essential commodities and see to it that agricultural harvesting is done on time and farmers get Minimum Support Price (MSP).
Deputy Chief Minister (Health) AKK Srinivas later told reporters that the government has decided to intensify the monitoring mechanism as part of the three-pronged strategy.
"The disease spread is fast in urban areas as only one out of 13 has been from a rural area. About 29,264 foreign returnees have been identified in the state and one doctor will be appointed to monitor ten such persons. There will be a specialist over the doctor who will be interacting via videoconference," Srinivas said.
The government would conduct another survey to determine the exact number of foreign returnees, he added. The GoM, Srinivas said, suggested to the Chief Minister that the duration of lockdown relaxation for purchase of essential commodities daily from 6 am to 1 pm be reduced.
The Chief Minister, however, turned it down saying it could lead to overcrowding and result in faster transmission of the disease.
A senior IAS officer was being appointed to address issues related to stranded people at inter-state borders, who were being denied entry into the state.
"All such people will be lodged in special camps in marriage halls or hotels for quarantine and provided food. Also, the special officer will coordinate with officials of other states for taking care of AP people stranded there," the Deputy CM said.
Meanwhile, the first quota of free ration, including a kilo redgram, for the poor will be supplied from Sunday.
The second quota would be supplied on April 15 and the third on 29, the Chief Ministers Office said.
The Rs 1,000 per family financial assistance announced by the Chief Minister would be distributed on April 4, the CMO said.
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