Partial lockdown in Andhra Pradesh announced

Naveen S Garewal
Tribune News Service
Hyderabad, May 3 

The Andhra Pradesh government has announced the imposition of a partial curfew in the state from Wednesday.

It will remain in force for a period of two weeks, shops and establishments will be allowed to operate between 6 am and 12 noon. Section 144 will be in force during these hours. The state hopes to check the rapid spread of COVID-19 with this measure. 

Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy, ministers, and officials met to review the prevailing COVID-19 situation today and felt there had to be an immediate halt in all activity barring emergency services. 

Health Minister Alla Nani said, “The chief minister has instructed to impose curfew in specified hours. Along with Covid control measures, he has directed us to increase bed capacities in hospitals.”  

The state suffered another tragedy today when a former MP of Anakapalle, Sabbam Hari, died of COVID-19. He was 68.

He was under home quarantine after contracting the virus on April 15 but was moved to hospital on the advice of doctors. His health deteriorated due to infection and was put on a ventilator and breathed his last in the afternoon.  

Hari was also a former Mayor of Visakhapatnam and was a member of the Congress party. But in the last elections, he joined Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and unsuccessfully contested from Bheemunipatnam Assembly constituency.