CM KCR appeals to all those who returned to Telangana from foreign countries to voluntarily report to the district authorities

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Thursday appealed to all those who returned to the State from foreign countries after March 1 to voluntarily report to the district authorities so that their health status could be established and monitored. 

“I also appeal to them to go in for self isolate in their homes for 14 days to check the spread of coronavirus,” he said. The Chief Minister also appealed to the managements of all places of worships, irrespective of religion, not to allow devotees visiting temples, mosques, churches and gurudwaras.

The Chief Minister was addressing the media after a high-level emergency meet with Ministers, District Collectors, Superintendents of Police and other top officials at Pragathi Bhavan here in the wake of seven more Indonesians who were part of a 10-member group testing positive at Gandhi Hospital on Wednesday.

Chandrashekhar Rao also directed sarpanches of villages and other village officials to report to the district authorities the presence of foreigners or people who returned to the State after March 1. “Starting from Friday, village officials will enquire into the presence of people who returned after March 1,” he said, and instructed the SPs and District Collectors to gather information on people who returned after foreign travel from the cut off date.

The Chief Minister announced that cinema halls, gyms, bars, clubs and pubs that were initially asked to shut till March 21, will now remain closed till March 31. Malls and supermarkets will, however, remain open. All marriages halls should remain shut except in case of marriages that had already been fixed, but the wedding function should be completed by 9pm, he said.

Stating that implementation of precautionary measures was key to containing the spread of coronavirus as was demonstrated by Vietnam that is close to China, the Chief Minister said the State machinery was making all efforts in that direction in the wake of the Karimnagar development.

Chandrashekhar Rao said instructions have been issued to



cancel all celebrations and festivities including Ugadi Panchanga Shravanam, Rama Navami and Shab-e-Miraj. The Ugadi Panchanga Shravanam will be telecast live, he said.

As part of the efforts to check spread of coronavirus, the Chief Minister said that since Telangana State has borders with several States, the government has decided to set up 18 check-posts on National and State Highways. “Every vehicle that enters the State will be checked and if the officials come across any person returning from foreign travel, the person will be asked to self-quarantine if they don’t show symptoms. In case they have symptoms, they will taken to the designated hospital for check-up,” he said.

On the issue of several foreign returnees seeking self-quarantine on grounds that they have better facilities at home, Chandrashekhar Rao, while saying it will be considered, however, made it clear that they should stay put at home. “We are allowing such requests in some cases, but they will also be under surveillance,” he said, adding that in districts, a committee comprising collector, SP and DM & HO will take a call on such requests.

The Chief Minister was categorical in stating that all those who returned from trips abroad will have to undergo the quarantine period. If the committee finds anyone with symptoms, they will have to inform the Secretary, Medical and Health immediately.

The Chief Minister referring to non-air travel, pointed out that 84 trains pass through the State every day. “We have asked the South Central Railway officials to maintain high levels of sanitation in the trains,” he said.

Referring to the SSC examinations that began on Thursday, the Chief Minister said the examinations will go on since the students had already prepared and it would not be fair to postpone them. A total of 5 lakh students are appearing for the SSC examinations, he said, adding that instructions have been issued to ensure high levels of sanitation in the examination centres on a daily basis.