Increasing cases in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) area, Hyderabad may go for another lockdown lasting around 15 days, the Telangana government hinted.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, after a high-level review meeting in Pragathi Bhavan in Hyderabad, said that the cabinet will meet in three or four days and take a decision on the matter.
In a statement, the Chief Minister said, “Hyderabad is a metropolitan city in which one crore people live. It is natural that like other cities in the country, the spread of coronavirus is high. People started moving around after the lockdown was lifted. Other cities in the country are also thinking on these lines.”
“Let us examine the situation keenly for two to three days. If need be, Cabinet will be convened in three to four days to discuss proposals for the lockdown, alternatives and other related issues and a decision will be taken,” KCR added.
In a statement issued after the review meeting, Telangana Health Minister Eatala Rajender’s office said that he explained the present situation related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the state to the Chief Minister.
“The coronavirus outbreak is spreading fast across the country. Telangana is also in the same situation. The death toll in Telangana is low compared to the national average. There is nothing to be afraid of and we are completely prepared to handle the issue,” the statement quoted the Health Minister as saying.
Citing the example of Chennai, where a lockdown was imposed to prevent the spread of the virus, authorities said that Telangana could also consider a similar move.
Stating that imposing a lockdown is a big decision, senior officials said during the review meeting that government machinery, especially the police, should be prepared.
Besides Health Minister Eatala Rajender, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and senior officials of the Health Department were present at the meeting.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in Telangana crossed 13,000, with 1,087 new cases registered on Sunday. This has been the highest single-day spike in the number of cases in Telangana so far. The state has 8,265 active COVID-19 patients as of Sunday. While 243 people have succumbed to the disease, 4,928 people in the state have recovered.
Of the 1,087 new cases registered on Saturday, 888 were reported in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits, the biggest hotspot in the state. Ranga Reddy and Medchal districts, bordering GHMC, reported 74 and 37 cases each.
Indicating the spread in other parts of the state as well, Nalgonda reported 35 new cases and Sangareddy district recorded 11 new cases. #KhabarLive #hydnews
