Andhra Pradesh continued to witness an alarming increase in coronavirus cases. The state reported 7,822 new COVID-19 cases, taking the cumulative count in the state to 1,66,586. Apart from the infections, some 63 new deaths due to COVID-19 were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the state-wide death toll to 1,537.

Coronavirus cases in the state have swelled for four straight weeks, having recorded 8-000-10,000 fresh cases every day. Andhra Pradesh has emerged as the worst-affected state by coronavirus in the country only after Maharashtra (4.4 lakh) and Tamil Nadu (2,63,222). In the last two weeks, Andhra Pradesh has toppled Karnataka and Delhi to claim the dubious third place in the country’s Covid-19 ranking.

Andhra Pradesh not only broke its own single-day spike but overshadowed records set by other states. With more than 60,000 cases reported in just one week, Andhra Pradesh had already unseated Delhi to clinch the dubious third spot in the country’s Covid-19 tally.

On July 1, the state had reported 15,252 COVID-19 cases. By July 30, this number had climbed to 1,30,557 cases. Of these, 60,000 cases were reported in seven days. Last Friday, Andhra Pradesh recorded the highest single-day spike of 10,376 coronavirus cases, 10,167 cases on Thursday and 10,093 cases a day before.

The pace at which the cases are rising in the state, it won’t be surprising if AP will unseat Tamil Nadu to claim the dubious rank of the second worst-hit pandemic state in the country though the margin of 1 lakh cases seems wide.

Experts attributed the recent surge to increased testing and widespread transmission of the disease. Further, the experts also blamed relaxations of lockdown measures which had resulted in people gathering in crowds, no longer heeding to guidelines such as maintaining physical distance or wearing face masks.

The Andhra Pradesh government had lifted all curbs on inter-state and intra-state travel, and commercial activity in the state moved towards ‘normalcy’. The increase in COVID-19 cases has happened during this time. Many blamed Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy for his “learn to live with the virus” policy rather taking stringent measures to combat the pandemic.

For the fifth straight week, Andhra Pradesh also witnessed a record spike in the death toll due to the viral infection. In the last 24 hours, AP reported 63 deaths taking the number of fatalities to 1537.

The state has 76,377 known active cases and 88,672 discharged after recovery. Andhra Pradesh’s infection positivity rate increased to 7.22 per cent. Among the states with over 20,000 cases, it has the second-worst recovery ratio of 45.3 per cent. Only Karnataka outranks AP with a ratio of around 40 per cent.

With nearly 40,000 cases reported in just four days, Andhra Pradesh has finally unseated Delhi to clinch the dubious third spot in the country’s Covid-19 tally.

In the last 24 hours, the state has reported 9,246 new cases taking the total number of infections to 1,50,209. The national capital had been holding the third position behind Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu for weeks. In the last 24 hours, Delhi slipped to the fourth spot in the list of the worst-hit states after the national capital recorded 1,195 new infections taking its tally to 1,35,598.

Andhra Pradesh has reported nearly 40,000 coronavirus cases in the last four days, pushing its tally to 1,50,209. On Friday, Andhra Pradesh recorded the highest single-day spike of 10,376 coronavirus cases, 10,167 cases on Thursday and 10,093 cases a day before. The pace at which the cases are rising in the state, it won’t be surprising if AP will unseat Tamil Nadu to claim the dubious rank of the second worst-hit pandemic state in the country sooner than later.

For the fourth straight week, Andhra Pradesh also witnessed a record spike in the death toll due to the viral infection. In the last 24 hours, AP reported 59 deaths taking the number of fatalities to 1,407.

Andhra Pradesh’s infection positivity rate increased to 7.22 per cent. Among the states with over 20,000 cases, it has the second-worst recovery ratio of 45.3 per cent. Only Karnataka outranks AP with a ratio of around 40 per cent.

There are 72,138 active cases in Andhra Pradesh, while 76,614 Covid-19 patients recovered and discharged from several hospitals in the state.

Andhra Pradesh has inched closer to unseat Delhi to clinch the dubious third ranking in the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the country.

In the last 24 hours, AP reported 10,1617 Covid-19 cases beating its own record. . This is the highest single-day spike witnessed by any state in the country.

On Wednesday, the state had registered 10,093 coronavirus infections. With 10,1617 new corona infections, AP’s total caseload stood 1,30,557 as against Delhi’s total number of infections at 1,33,310.

That AP will breach Delhi’s caseload is a given, but the pace at which the cases are rising in the state, it won’t be surprising if AP will unseat Tamil Nadu to claim the rank of the second worst-hit pandemic state in the country sooner than later.

For the fourth straight week, Andhra Pradesh also witnessed a record spike in the death toll due to the viral infection. In the last 24 hours, the state has reported 68 deaths taking the tally to 1,281. East Godavari and Guntur recorded nine deaths each while Anatapur, Kurnool and Visakhapatnam reported eight deaths each, Chittoor and Kadapa registered six deaths each, Prakasam (4), Vizianagaram (4), Krishna (3), Nellore (1), Srikakulam (1) and West Godavari (1).

The growing number of fatalities is a cause for serious concern even as Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy remarked that “we have to learn to live with the virus and that every single person will be infected.” His remarks came under sharp criticism from his own party MP Raghurama Krishna Raju who advised him to desist from making such statements as it would erode the public confidence in the government.

East Godavari continued to be the hotspot in Andhra Pradesh reporting the highest number of infections in the state. In the last 24 hours, the district reported 1,441 positive cases followed by Kurnool (1,251).

In the last 24 hours, 70,068 tests were conducted and 10,1617 were tested positive for Covid-19. The number of active cases stands at 65,252. Around 60,002 Covid-19 patients recovered and were discharged from various hospitals in the state. Further, the government has conducted a total of 18,90,077 tests.

Andhra Pradesh had recently surged past that of Karnataka, making it the fourth worst-hit Covid-19 state in the country. Only Maharashtra (400651 cases), Tamil Nadu (23,4114) and Delhi (1,33,310) have reported more cases than Andhra Pradesh. AP emerged as the fastest state with its Covid cases rising from 50,000 to 1 lakh in just 7 days. Maharashtra took 19 days, Tamil Nadu 16 days, Delhi 18 days and Karnataka 11 days. By the time AP crossed 1 lakh mark, it conducted 16.4 lakh tests, Maharashtra 6.2 lakh tests, Tamil Nadu 12.7 lakh, Delhi 6.4 lakh and Karnataka 12 lakh.

Andhra Pradesh recorded over 10,000 new COVID-19 cases in a day for the first time, taking the tally to 1,20,390 while the death toll rose to 1,213 with a record single-day spike of 65 fatalities, according to the state health bulletin.

The state has registered 10,093 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours till. Andhra Pradesh had recently gone past Karnataka in terms of coronavirus cases to become the fourth worst-hit state. This is the highest single-day spike witnessed by any state in the country. On Tuesday, Maharashtra reported 7,717 in the last 24 hours, taking its tally to 3,91,440.

Andhra Pradesh had been steadily reporting anywhere between 6,000-,8,000 cases. However, this is the first time the state reported more than 10,000 Covid-19 positive cases.

For the third straight week, Andhra Pradesh also witnessed a record spike in the death toll due to the viral infection. In the last 24 hours, the state has reported 65 deaths taking the tally to 1,213.

Andhra Pradesh COVID-19 cases surged past that of Karnataka, making it the fourth worst-hit country. Only Maharashtra (3,91,440 cases), Tamil Nadu (2,27,688) and Delhi (1,33,310) have reported more cases than Andhra Pradesh.

With AP caseload rapidly on the rise, the state is not far from unseating Delhi to take the dubious third place with only a narrow margin of 10,000 cases. It is only a matter of a day or two when AP will be the third worst-hit state in the country. While Delhi and Mumbai’s recoveries have been quite remarkable, the same cannot be said of AP which is exhibiting worrying COVID-19 trends.

AP emerged as the fastest state with its Covid cases rising from 50,000 to 1 lakh in just 7 days. Maharashtra took 19 days, Tamil Nadu 16 days, Delhi 18 days and Karnataka 11 days. By the time AP crossed 1 lakh mark, it conducted 16.4 lakh tests, Maharashtra 6.2 lakh tests, Tamil Nadu 12.7 lakh, Delhi 6.4 lakh and Karnataka 12 lakh. Tamil Nadu was not giving priority to antigen tests. It is not yet clear whether AP was relying on RT PCR tests or trunat tests.

In the state, East Godavari continued to report the highest single-day spikes. In the last 24 hours, the district has reported 1,676, Anantapur (1,371), Guntur (1,124), Kurnool (1,091), Visakhapatnam (841), Chittoor (734), Nellore (608), Srikakulam (496), Krishna (259), Prakasam (242), Vizianagaram (53).

East Godavari has been witnessing the highest number of fatalities too. In the last 24 hours, 14 Covid-19 patients succumbed to the infection in the district followed by Anantapur (8), Vizianagaram (7), Chittoor (6), Kurnool (5), Nellore (5), Krishna (4), Prakasam (4), Guntur (3), Kadapa (3), Srikakulam (2), Visakhapatnam (2), West Godavari (2).

The number of active cases stands at 63,771, 2,784 Covid-19 patients have recovered and discharged from various hospitals in the state. So far, 55,406 Covid-19 patients were discharged from various hospitals after recovery. Further, the government has conducted a total of 18,20,009 tests.

Andhra Pradesh has become the hotbed of the coronavirus spread in the country where the number of cases has breached the grim milestone of one lakh mark while the death toll has crossed the 1,000-mark as well.

In the last 24 hours, the state has reported 7,948 infections taking the total number of cases to a whopping 1,10,297. During the same period. 56 Covid-19 patients succumbed to the deadly infection.

A total of 1,148 Covid-19 patients have succumbed to the virus so far, and the fatality rate is growing each day. Andhra Pradesh currently is the fourth worst-hit state by the pandemic after toppling Karnataka to claim the dubious ranking.

The state has the fourth-highest number of Covid-19 positive cases at 1,10,297 cases and racing ahead to unseat Delhi to clinch the dubious third position in the country’s Corona ranking.

In the last three weeks, Andhra Pradesh has emerged as one of the biggest Covid-19 hotspots in the country. With 1,10,297 positive cases, Andhra Pradesh had joined the big ‘1 lakh club’. The state is currently behind Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Delhi. While Maharashtra logged over 3,83,7233 lakh Covid-19 positive cases, followed by Tamil Nadu with more than 2.20 lakh coronavirus cases. With AP caseload rapidly on the rise, the state is not far from unseating Delhi which has over 1.31 lakh Covid-19 cases.

On March 12, Andhra Pradesh reported the first positive case of corona. A man who returned from Italy to Nellore tested positive for the virus. 73 positive cases in India.

On March 15, Jagan Mohan Reddy brushed aside the grave threat of pandemic outbreak in the state stating that “A scare is being created, when there is no panic situation. Covid-19 can be harmful in cases of people above 60 years of age, with diabetes, blood pressure, asthma like conditions. This is a kind of virus that comes and goes. 80% of the people who are healthy are not affected by the disease – it comes and it goes. It may be cured by medication and that medication is paracetamol. The virus is spreading from South Korea. In case anybody coming from foreign countries is found suffering from cough, cold and fever, bleaching powder should be sprayed on their belongings and things they use.”

On April 25, the total number of Covid-19 cases touched 1,016 with 61 more tested positive. Jagan was in ‘don’t press the panic’ button mode. In all these days, YSRCP leaders believed Covid-19 was a TDP hoax and that the virus was the evil creation of Naidu to postpone elections to civic bodies.

Jagan’s press briefings were a circus-like spectacle from his statements early on that paracetamol and bleaching powder can keep corona at bay. After the virus is like common cold and fever that “comes and goes”, Jagan had stated that it “comes but does not go”. It surely doesn’t seem to.

On May 25, AP reported more than 3,000 cases with 56. By June 25, the number of Covid-19 positive cases and fatalities more than doubled to 10,884 and 136 respectively. By July 25, the cases had galloped by more than seven times to 80,858. In other words, in nearly a month period, the state reported 70,000 Covid-19 cases. The fatalities too soared to 933 on July 25 from 136 on June 25. In other words, the number of deaths saw a significant jump of more than 842 cases in just 26 days.

The virus affected the frontline warriors with no medical equipment such as PPEs, N95 masks and gloves, but the government claimed there were enough supplies. Instead of addressing shortage of medical supplies, the Jagan government blamed everyone else but itself.

In Southern States, Andhra Pradesh has continued to drive India’s novel Coronavirus numbers which have been touching new highs every day for the last one week hovering around 6,000-8,000 cases. As the state had remained the biggest contributor of Covid-19 cases for the last three weeks beating states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Telangana in the South in single-day spikes, Jagan had recently stated that none will be spared by Covid-19.

“Every single person can contract the infection. No one can stop the spread of the virus. We have to live with it,” Jagan had said. With the Chief Minister’s statement, the public confidence in the government has eroded coming as it does at a time when the onus of infusing confidence lies largely on the political dispensations.

The mortuary at the Guntur general hospital is overflowing with the unclaimed dead bodies of patients. The family members and relatives are arriving to take the bodies. The fear of infections has spread panic everywhere. The people are afraid of spread of infections from the dead bodies.

Following this, the Guntur district officials are planning to hold mass cremations for the bodies. For this, they have begun making arrangements for taking the nod from the court.

As per reports, over 30 bodies are still unclaimed at the mortuary. The existing facilities are not enough to hold the bodies for long. Despite repeated appeals, the family members are not coming to claim the bodies. Guntur district has been witnessing rapid spread of the infections from the beginning. The government is under lots of pressure for stepping up facilities for treatment of the virus patients.

The unclaimed dead bodies are posing a new challenge to the officials. The Centre has issued exclusive protocols for cremation and last rites for the bodies of Covid victims. Lack of cooperation from relatives is making this difficult.