Telangana Health department is fully geared up to tackle any further new cases: CM KCR

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Monday said the measures taken by the State government in its fight against coronavirus were yielding fruit with 21 districts in the State likely to have zero active cases by Tuesday. This apart, 97 per cent of the patients are recovering and are being discharged which was a good sign, he observed.

“Going by the decline in the number of cases, the State will be coronavirus-free within a few days. This is a positive development and people need not worry as the Health department is fully geared up to tackle any further new cases,” the Chief Minister said at a high level review meeting at Pragathi Bhavan.

Chandrashekhar Rao said with the spread of coronavirus decreasing steadily, the number of containment zones was also gradually reducing. Further, the process of checking the spread of COVID-19 by tracking those who attended religious prayers at Nizamuddin and the entire link of persons who came in contact with them, was underway, even as tests were being conducted regularly, he said.

The Chief Minister took stock of the prevailing situation in the State after participating in the video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the day.

He said the strict implementation of the lockdown in the State was helping in curtailing the spread of coronavirus. Initially, the virus spread through persons returning from other countries and then from those who participated in the Markaz congregation. However, with police and health officials tracking down the sources, linking them efficiently and extending treatment to patients, has helped in obtaining good results.

The health officials said the curve of positive cases was slowly flattening. On Monday, only two of the 159 persons who were tested turned



positive while 16 patients had been discharged after undergoing treatment successfully. As on Monday, a total of 1,003 positive cases were registered in the State of whom 332 were discharged after recovery. About 646 patients were currently undergoing treatment.

No positive cases were reported from 10 districts — Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Narayanpet, Warangal Rural, Wanaparthy, Nagarkurnool, Mahabubabad, Siddipet, Yadadri Bhongir and Mancherial. Similarly, another 11 districts — Jagitial, Janagaon, Peddapalli, Sangareddy, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Kamareddy, Mahabubnagar, Medak, Rajanna Sircilla, Karimnagar and Nalgonda, would be Covid-19 free by Tuesday, the Chief Minister said. The maximum number of positive cases were registered in the districts of Hyderabad, Suryapet, Jogulamba Gadwal and Vikarabad.

Even in GHMC area, about 30 circles did not report any positive cases, while several other divisions were reporting decline in positive cases, he said. The State government had been reducing the number of containment zones in Hyderabad since there was a decline in fresh cases being reported. The officials informed that majority of patients who tested positive in GHMC area would be completing their quarantine period on May 8. “Once we overcome the current situation, we will be able to handle it effectively even if there is a positive case occasionally,” the Chief Minister said.

Among those who participated in the meeting were Health Minister Etela Rajender, Home Minister Mohd Mahmood Ali, TRS Parliamentary Party Leader K Keshav Rao, Chief Advisor Rajiv Sharma, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, DGP Mahender Reddy, Principal Secretaries Narsing Rao, Shanta Kumari, GHMC Commissioner Lokesh Kumar and former Assembly Speaker Madhusudhana Chary.