Amaravati, Feb 19 (IANS): Andhra Pradesh reported a slightly higher number of new Covid-19 infections at 79 on Friday, raising the state's tally over 8.89 lakh, even as 77 more persons recovered in the past 24 hours.

Chittoor district reported the highest number of cases at 16, followed by Nellore (12), Anantapur (11), Krishna (7) and East Godavari and Guntur (6 each).

Among other places, Visakhapatnam and West Godavari (5 each), Kadapa (4), Kurnool and Srikakulam (3 each) and Prakasam (1).

Incidentally, Vizianagaram did not see even a single infection.

East Godavari's tally crossed 1.24 lakh, the highest among all Andhra districts, while the state's positivity rate fell to 6.5 per cent, which is still higher than the national average of 5.23 per cent.

Compared to Thursday, AP's active coronavirus caseload rose by one to reach 620. Active caseload has been hovering around 620 since a few days.

Meanwhile, one more person succumbed to the virus in the past 24 hours, raising the total number of deaths to 7,167.

Powered by 77 more recoveries, total recoveries crossed 8.81 lakh in the southern state.

In the past two days, as many as 305 senior officials from various departments, including IAS and IPS got inoculated for Coronavirus at the state command and control centre in Mangalagiri's APIIC building.

Some officials received e - certificates on being vaccinated, including senior IPS officer G. V. G. Ashok Kumar.

Meanwhile, the state health department officials debunked a fake message circulating in public fora claiming that senior citizens will be asked to register for vaccination soon.

Health officials categorically declared that it is a fake message and asked people to not believe in it.