Over 2,000 people tested positive for the virus in South Coastal Andhra, while eight other patients died of the virus within 24 hours in Nellore.
The toll in the region rose to 1,339, with Nellore causing 664 deaths and Prakasam causing 675 deaths. This emerges from a health bulletin published by the state government on Monday evening.
For the first time during the second wave, the number of active cases in the two districts rose to 30,694 with 1,432 new cases in Nellore and 639 in Prakasam. Unlike the first wave, more teens are now getting the disease, health officials said.
The total coronavirus case hit the 1.78 lakh mark as the SPSR Nellore District accounted for more than 94,000 cases and the Prakasam District accounted for the remainder. In the meantime, the vaccination campaign is not expected to resume until May 15, when vaccine supplies are drawn from the center.
Breathing problems common
Health officials struggled to treat the large numbers of patients, most of whom had breathing problems, as designated COVID-19 hospitals collapsed under the pressure.
The district administration of Prakasam set up temporary sheds in the government hospital in Ongole, as numerous patients were waiting at the reception desk at all times for the bed to be allocated.
The continued efforts of health professionals produced results, with just over 1,500 recovering from the disease in the region during the reporting period. The gap between new cases and recoveries narrowed to about 200 in SPSR Nellore district and 300 in Prakasam district.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people huddled at the meeting venues to take the picture were very disappointed. The ongoing vaccination campaign would be on hold for a few days to compile a list of those who had already taken the first dose of vaccine and issue them tokens to avoid overcrowding at the meeting locations like last week.