Two die of coronavirus in AP, 57 fresh cases; 4,840 tests for every 1 million says CM

: Two COVID-19 related deaths were reported in Andhra Pradesh taking the toll to 52 even as 57 more tested positive, pushing the total number of infections in the state to 2,489.

Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy said nearly 2.5 lakh samples have been tested so far, which, he claimed, is the highest in the country, resulting in 4,840 tests for every 1 million population.

Samples of 9,739 people were tested and 69 have been discharged from various hospitals after treatment, taking the cumulative recoveries to 1,596, a health department bulletin said.

The number of active patients are now at 691.

Of the fresh cases in the past 24 hours ending 9 AM on Tuesday, six were linked to the Koyambedu market in Chennai, it said.

Kurnool and Chittoor districts reported one death each.

The cumulative positive cases from other states stood at 150, it said.

"We have tested 2,48,711 samples in the state, which is the highest in the country.

We tested 4,840 people for every 1 million population.

The state has a positivity of 0.94 per cent and there is a recovery rate of 63.82 per cent, while the mortality rate is at 2.06 per cent," Reddy said in an interaction with officials through a video conference.

According to him, 98 per cent of the patients have recovered and been discharged after treatment for the virus and 85 per cent are recuperating at their residences.

He opined that most of the COVID-19 deaths in the state were because of patients less immune system and chronic diseases.

Reddy lauded the efforts put in by various sections such as ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers, village volunteers, doctors and police.

The Chief Minister said as the state enters Lockdown-4.0 with some relaxations, economic activity has to increase by taking utmost care and instructed District Collectors to take care of the situation.

He maintained that people have to live with coronavirus until a vaccine is invented and that awareness about the virus has to be created.