Tue Jun 03 00:50:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and a news article based on the provided text:
**Summary:**
COVID-19 cases in Visakhapatnam from last month were identified as the Omicron BA.2 subvariant after samples were tested at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune. While COVID-19 cases are gradually increasing in the state, the medical and health department has instructed hospitals to conduct at least 1000 COVID-19 tests a day.
**News Article:**
**Omicron BA.2 Subvariant Detected in Visakhapatnam, Testing Intensified Across Andhra Pradesh**
**Visakhapatnam/Amaravati:** The Omicron BA.2 subvariant of COVID-19 has been identified in samples collected from Visakhapatnam last month. The confirmation came after testing was conducted at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, according to sources at King George Hospital (KGH) Visakhapatnam.
Health officials are urging the public to remain vigilant and practice personal safety measures, though they emphasize that there is no need for undue alarm regarding the Omicron variant.
The detection comes as Andhra Pradesh witnesses a gradual increase in COVID-19 cases, with many cases going unrecorded. In response, the medical and health department has issued directives to ramp up testing across the state.
Special Chief Secretary of the Medical and Health Department, Krishna Babu, instructed officials to ensure that 1,000 COVID-19 tests are conducted daily. As part of the increased testing capacity, older Government General Hospitals (GGHs) are instructed to conduct 100 tests daily, and new GGHs should conduct 50 tests daily.
Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare, Veerapandian, held a separate review meeting to assess the current COVID-19 testing infrastructure, including available labs, testing kits, and oxygen plants.
The health department is closely monitoring the situation to ensure adequate resources are available to manage the evolving COVID-19 situation in the state.
First Piper 