Two deaths, 219 new COVID-19 cases in T'gana
Among those affected by the virus was an MLA from the ruling Telananga Rashtra Samithi, making him the third legislator from the party to test positive for coronavirus. All the new cases were reported from different parts of the state and no fresh case was found among migrants, foreign returnees and others, a state governmentbulletin said.
Out of the 219 fresh cases, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for 189, followed by 13 from neighbouring Ranga Reddy district.
A total of 2,766 people have been discharged so far, while 2,240 are under treatment, the bulletin said.
The total cases reported from different parts of Telangana till 5 PM on Monday were 4,744, while the number of cases among migrants, deportees and foreign returnees was 449.
The state government on Monday fixed the cost of conducting a COVID-19 (RT-PCR) test at private labs at Rs 2,200 (samples collected at the labs/hospitals) and Rs 2,800 for samples which are collected from home.
The charges for routine ward and isolation at private hospitals is Rs 4,000 per day.
The charges for ICU without a ventilator and isolation has been fixed at Rs 7,500 per day, while it would be Rs 9,000 per day for ICU with a ventilatorand isolation.
The charges, however, excludes PPE and "interventional procedures like, but not limited to, Central line insertion", among others, according to a Government Order.
Meanwhile Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan held a video conference with several prominent personalities to take their expert opinion on evolving a "discrete, proactive and concrete strategy in combating COVID-19."
The suggestions she received during the interaction include evolving a rationale state testing policy based on the local conditions, rather than strictly adhering to broad guidelines of ICMR, and undertaking epidemiological spread- based testing, an official release said. SJR APR RAVINDRANATH APR RAVINDRANATH