Amaravati, Oct 22 (IANS) A total of 95.1 per cent of Covid patients in Andhra Pradesh have recovered from the virus, making it a state with the highest recovery rate in India.

Out of 7.93 lakh people detected to be infected with the virus until Wednesday, 7.54 lakh have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.

Currently, active cases in the southern state stand at 33,396.

Andhra Pradesh's mortality rate is at 0.82 per cent, which is lower than the national average of 1.51 per cent.

Right from the beginning of the pandemic, Andhra has emerged as one of the states which has vigorously tested samples for the virus.

By Wednesday, it had tested 72.7 lakh samples, translating to 1.36 lakh tests per million people.

Katamaneni Bhaskar, health commissioner, said, "We are testing the most in the country, therefore detecting more cases. Detecting cases early gives the doctors the chance to treat the patients and reduce mortality."

He said the state's health department is testing more in vulnerable zones and stated that more Coronavirus testing will continue on a war footing.

According to officials, the state was undeterred in the face of high caseload in the recent weeks amid Unlock when around 10,000 cases used to be detected and continued with its strategy of large-scale testing.

"It is this very strategy that has now translated into the state topping the recovery charts," said an official.

--IANS
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Kathmandu, Oct 22 (IANS) The office of Nepals Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has confirmed that Samant Kumar Goel, chief of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India's external spy agency, held a meeting with Oli on Wednesday evening.

Amid media reports that Goel held a meeting with Oli and other leaders from ruling and opposition parties, earlier Oli's office had denied the meeting between the prime minister and Goel.

Former Prime Ministers Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda and Madhav Kumar Nepal -- who are also senior party leaders -- have denied a meeting between them and Goel.

RAW Chief Goel landed in Kathmandu on Wednesday. His mission has been kept secret but it is said that since both sides want to normalise bilateral ties, they want to engage with each other at the highest level to resolve outstanding issues.

There is one section in Kathmandu that linked the visit with the ongoing dispute within the ruling Communist Party of Nepal.

Disputes and differences between Oli and senior party leaders Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Madhav Kumar Nepal and others have deepened in recent days.

Though the eight-month-long dispute between Oli and Dahal eased a little in August the crisis did a rebound last week over a chief minister facing a no-confidence motion.

Chief Minister of Karnali province Mahendra Bahadur Shahi, who is perceived to be close to Dahal, is facing a no-confidence motion from the Oli faction.

The issue of no-confidence motion has brought to fore serious cracks inside the party.

There is also apprehension in New Delhi that the present regime in Kathmandu is tilting towards China and that India wants to check it though its different apparatus.

RAW Chief Goel met Prime Minister KP Oli at Baluwatar on Wednesday evening according to Surya Thapa, press advisor to the Prime Minister.

In the meeting with Prime Minister Oli, Goel expressed his commitment to maintain the age-old friendly ties between the two countries, to resolve border issues through dialogue and to give continuity to the mutual bilateral cooperation, said Thapa.

However, Thapa did not disclose what the Prime Minister said during the meeting.

Goel returned home on Thursday morning, wrapping up his two-day visit to Nepal.

The comes just ahead of the visit of Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane, who is scheduled to arrive in Nepal on a three-day visit likely on November 3.

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--IANS