VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government has permitted film theatres, restaurants, gyms and function halls to operate in strict compliance with Covid-19 protocol, by extending curfew relaxation period up to 10 pm from 6 am in 11 districts and up to 7 pm in twin districts of Godavari from July 8.
At a high-level meeting held on Monday, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the authorities to relax curfew timings to facilitate functioning of some facilities. However, he cautioned that all facilities which were permitted to open should comply with Covid-19 protocol so that it would help contain spread of the Coronavirus.
Accordingly, the facilities which would be accommodating more people should allow them to sit by maintaining a gap between one seat and another and all people visiting the permitted facilities must wear masks, maintain social distance and use hand sanitiser frequently. In 11 districts where curfew is to be relaxed up to 10 pm, all shops should be closed by 9 pm itself and so is the case in twin districts where all shops should be closed by 6 pm as curfew will be relaxed up to 7 pm. Reduced hours of curfew relaxation period will be in force in districts until they register Covid-19 positivity rate to be less than five per cent.
The Chief Minister directed the health authorities to pay more attention on administering Covid vaccine to various categories of people and asked them to accord priority to teachers after completion of vaccination of people aged 45 years and above up to 90 per cent. He instructed them to carry out vaccination to mothers having children below five years of age and also to government employees and pregnant women on priority basis.
The officials informed the Chief Minister that AP registered Covid-19 recovery rate at 97.47%, positivity rate at 3.66% while five districts reported positivity rate at less than three per cent. The Chief Minister was informed that 1.28 crore people were given jabs so far in the state and of them, 96,25,316 were given single doses while 32,58,885 got both the doses.
On black fungus cases, the officials informed the Chief Minister that so far, 3,670 cases were registered in the state and of them, 295 were dead while 2,075 were discharged from the hospitals after recovery while in the last 24 hours, 33 cases were reported.
With regard to setting up oxygen plants in the state, the Chief Minister directed the officials to complete setting up plants in two months.
