24 new coronavirus positive cases repored in AP; tally rises to 135

: Coronavirus positive cases continued to maintain an upward curve in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday with three more reported during the day, adding to the 21 since Wednesday night, taking the aggregate to 135 so far.

With just two of the patients shown by the government as recovered, the number of 'active' cases remains at 133.

All the fresh cases too were related to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in New Delhi, from where Covid-19 has been fast spreading.

The state's nodal officer for Covid-19 Arja Srikanth said 758 of the 1,085 people who returned from the Jamaat event to AP were tested so far and 91 of them tested positive.

Also, 20 of their contacts too got afflicted with the disease.

"About 16 per cent of those who attended the Jamaat event tested positive in the state," he said.

Efforts were on to trace the remaining persons in all districts and conduct required tests, Srikanth added.

SPS Nellore district saw a significant jump in the number of cases as 17 were reported overnight.

The district now has an overall 20 coronavirus positive cases.

Incidentally, the first coronavirus case in AP was reported from Nellore on March 12 when a foreign returnee tested positive but he has since recovered fully.

With the blood test reports of more than 450 cases yet to come, authorities fear the coronavirus cases could only swell.