COVID-19: Cases beach 1,000 mark in Telangana, central team visits Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Apr 26 (): With 11 new coronaviruspositive cases being added, Telangana on Sunday breached the1,000 mark, despite the fall in the number of cases during thepast few days.
According to a bulletin issued by the state HealthDepartment, the number of COVID-19 positive cases rose to1,001 while the active patients stood at 660 after ninepatients including a 75-year old man, contact of a person withtravel history to Delhi,were discharged after recovery.
All the 11 new cases were reported from the GreaterHyderabad Municipal Corporation area, the bulletin added.
No death was reported and the number of people whosuccumbed to the virus continues to be 25, the bulletin saidadding as many as 316 people have been discharged so far.
The number of cases are on the declining side for thepast four days.
The state witnessed 13 and seven cases on Friday andSaturday respectively.
Expressing satisfaction over the decreasing trend inthe number of cases, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao saidit was due to strict implementation of the ongoing lockdown.
In a press release, he said if people extend theirsupport to the lockdown for some more days and follow theguidelines provided by the government on containment of thevirus spread, the situation would further improve for thebetter.
He said the situation in the country will be knownafter the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video conference withall the CMs on Monday.
Rao held a high-level review meeting here at PragathiBhavan on Sunday on the implementation of lockdown, measurestaken to contain spread of coronavirus and other issues.
He felt that the death rate due to the virus in thestate is far less than the national average, which is somesolace to the State.
"If the present lockdown continues for some time,people maintain their personal hygiene and take precautions;the virus spread will totally come down during the days tocome," the release quoted Rao as saying.
Meanwhile, the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT),which is on a visit to the state to assess the COVID-19situation, on Sunday extensively toured different parts of thecity by visiting the Raithu Bazar, Nature Cure hospitalbesides a containment zone, an official release said.
The Central team, led by Arun Baroka, AdditionalSecretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti, also held a meeting withTelangana Director General of Police (DGP) M Mahendar Reddyand other senior police officials.
The team was briefed on the measures taken by thestate police to enforce lockdown in the state besides on thesecurity and bandobast arrangements near containment zones andat hospitals where COVID-19 patients are undergoing treatment.
The team appreciated the role of police in supply ofessentials to citizens and also to migrant workers, it said.
The Central team also expressed its satisfaction onthe various initiatives taken by the Telangana government tocontain COVID-19 in the state, the release said.
The Inter Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) visitedseveral places in the city to have a glance at the effortstaken by the state government to contain COVID-19.
GHMC Commissioner D S Lokesh Kumar, HyderabadCollector Swetha Mohanthy and other officials, explained tothe team members about the steps taken up by the government aspart of the Containment Plan.
The Central team during it's visit to MehdipatnamRythu Bazar and enquired about sales of essential commoditieswith the shopkeepers and also observed the circles drawn as ameasure for social distancing in front of vegetable shops.
The team members were informed that 120 mobile vansare supplying vegetables and fruits in different parts of thecity manned by SHG women.
The Central team members interacted with vendors andinquired from where the vegetables are brought to sell in themarket.
Later the central team members visited the quarantinecenter at Nature Cure Hospital and interacted with doctors andmedical staff there.
They enquired about facilities such as testing kitsand arrangementsfor the people who are quarantined.
Telangana Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar participated inthe Video Conference held by Rajeev Gauba, Cabinet Secretaryon "Public health response to COVID-19" from B R K R Bhavanhere, a separate press release said.
The Cabinet Secretary informed that the videoconference is to have an assessment on the present situationon fighting against coronavirus.
Rachakonda Commissioner of Police Mahesh M Bhagwatsaid the Police and TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences)are conducting socio economic and need assessment survey ofmigrant labourers.
So far nearly 5,500 migrant labourers living indifferent areas in the city were surveyed, the Commissionersaid. GDK VVK SS