New COVID-19 infections in Anantapur remained very high on Saturday with a positivity rate of 37.97% for the 4,585 samples tested. The number of positive cases was 1,741 in Anantapur and 1,421 in Kurnool, and the active cases were 14,036 and 13,185, respectively.
While Anantapur recorded 10 deaths, Kurnool County reported seven, with the cumulative numbers rising to 721 and 589, respectively.
While the 270 beds available in the Anantapur district were occupied in the intensive care unit, 1,382 of 1,941 beds with oxygen support were occupied by Saturday evening. The district vaccinated 3,83,119 people, of whom 1,27,040 took the second dose.
Rush of buyers
Meanwhile, the Anantapur Chamber of Commerce has announced that all of its members will close their stores on Sunday and reopen at 6 a.m. on Monday. After the announcement, people rushed to shops in the city for general shopping and also with a view to Laylat al-Qadr, also known as Shab-e-Qadr or Night of the Decree.
Before noon, many people gathered in the Rythu bazaar and the main market in the old town to buy the bare essentials as there will be a 36 hour break.