The number of COVID-19 cases in Andhra Pradesh mounted to 14,595 on Tuesday with 704 people testing positive during the last 24 hours, officials said.

The state also reported seven fatalities, pushing the death toll to 187. Three people succumbed to the virus in Krishna district while two deaths occurred in Kurnool district. Guntur and Anantapur districts accounted for one death each.

According to the media bulletin released by the State Command Control Room, 18,114 samples were tested during the last 24 hours. Of them 704 tested positive. They include five returnees from abroad and 51 migrants from other states.

The health department said 258 people were discharged from hospitals. With this the number of recoveries rose to 6,511.

A total of 7,897 patients were undergoing treatment. While 6,161 were in hospitals, 1,736 were in COVID care centres.

Among districts, Kurnool remained the worst affected with 1,955 positive cases including 82 added during the last 24 hours. With 1,571 cases, Anantapur has the second highest number. The district reported 104 new cases. Krishna district has 1,467 cases including 84 reported during the last 24 hours.

The state has so far tested 8,90,190 samples, one of the highest in the country.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will flag-off on Wednesday, 1,088 vehicles of ‘108′ and ‘104′ ambulances, equipped with modern life support systems to provide quick and better medical attention.

For the first time, 26 neo-natal ambulances are also going to be inducted into the fleet of 412 new ‘108′ ambulances, where 104 of them are advanced life support vehicles and 282 are basic life support vehicles, officials said.

In addition to these, to cater to the interior and remote villages, 676 Mobile Medical Units (MMU) of 104 emergency service are being introduced.