Two more coronavirus (COVID19) positive cases have been reported in Andhra Pradesh taking the tally to 10.

In a first of its kind address to the people of the State on Thursday, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy called for `right decisions with discipline’ to ward off the threat.

“While we are happy that only 10 positive cases have been reported in the State, we need to control this further spread of the virus,” he said.

Referring to the exodus of people from other States, mainly from Telanagana, he said: “I was disturbed by yesterday’s night’s happenings where we could not welcome our own people from across the borders. Please stay put wherever you are till April 14 and to avoid difficulty in contact tracing of the coronavirus. My request to those who are coming to AP from other states and moving across districts is to stay put,” Reddy said.

According to an official health bulletin, the new cases have been registered in Vijayawada and Guntur. The government is setting up new virology labs at Kadapa, Visakhapatnam and Guntur. So far, 26,059 persons who returned from abroad are under observation by the Health Department. Of these, 25,962 have been quarantined at home, 97 are in hospitals and results of 13 more suspected patients are awaited.

The State government has decided to do away with annual examinations for classes 6th to 9th. In a review meeting of the Education Department chaired by the Chief Minister in Amaravati on Thursday, it was decided the students would be promoted on the basis of attendance alone.

A decision on class 10th examinations, which have already been postponed, will be taken on March 31 after reviewing the situation.

The lockdown with special focus on high risk zones such as Visakhapatnam is being implemented strictly.

Shops and markets selling essential commodities including groceries and vegetables are kept open up to 1 pm.

All the borders have been shut. Those who are being allowed in are directly shifted to quarantine centres for 14 days.

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