AP reports 21 new cases; Most attended Delhi jamat meet

Amaravati, Mar 31 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh saw a quantum jump

in the number of coronavirus cases with 21, including 18 who attended the Jamat congregation in New Delhi, testing positive, taking the overall tally to 44 on Tuesday, the Medical and Health Department said.

Prakasam district recorded the highest number of eight cases, followed by five in Guntur, four in Visakhapatnam, two in Anantapuramu and one each in Krishna and East Godavari, a bulletin from the department said.

Four of the fresh cases were from Visakhapatnam and all had attended the religious event in Nizamuddin in Delhi between March 13 and 15.

While one person got afflicted upon his return from Medina, two others contracted it from a Mecca returnee in Karnataka.

Overall, Prakasam district now has a total of 11 cases followed by 10 in Visakhapatnam, nine in Guntur, five in Krishna, four in East Godavari, two in Anantapuramu and one each in Chittoor, Nellore and Kurnool, since March 12 when the first coronavirus positive case was reported in the state.

The lone patient in Nellore and another in Visakhapatnam had since recovered.

The bulletin said a total of 256 samples were tested since Monday night of which 235 turned negative.