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More lockdown relaxations in Telangana as active Covid-19 cases confined to 4 zones in Hyderabad
The chief minister said Covid-19 in Telangana was confined to just four zones in Hyderabad – L B Nagar, Malakpet, Charminar and Karawan where there were active cases.
The Telangana government on Friday decided to further relax lockdown restrictions in the wake of the drop in active Covid-19 cases in the state, except in the four containment zones in Hyderabad.
“Starting Saturday, shops selling air conditioners, automobile spare parts and automobile showrooms will be permitted to open all over the state, including Hyderabad. Stamps and Registration department and Road Transport Authority offices would also be open,” chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announced after a high-level meeting on Friday night.
He said the nationwide lockdown would come to an end on May 17 and there was a possibility of the Centre releasing some more guidelines in this regard. “The state will examine those guidelines, review the situation and finalise the future course of strategy and implement the same,” KCR said.
The chief minister said Covid-19 in Telangana was confined to just four zones in Hyderabad – L B Nagar, Malakpet, Charminar and Karawan where there were active cases. “There are 1442 families in these areas. Some migrant labourers in Yadadri Bhongir, Jangaon and Mancherial have tested positive for the virus but not people from these districts. Hence it cannot be counted among the three districts having positive cases,” he pointed out.
In the four containment zones where there are Covid-19 positive cases, lockdown restrictions should be implemented stringently. All those who had symptoms were identified and are being treated, he said.
Stating that there was nothing to be scared of Covid-19 for now, as a majority of people were recovering from the virus, he said, “In the Telangana, the percentage of people who died due to Covid-19 was only 2.38%, compared to the national average of 3.5%. We don’t know how long this virus will be with us. Hence, we have to adopt a strategy to live with it and we have no option,” the chief minister said.
He, however, instructed officials concerned to take precautionary measures to prevent seasonal diseases that may break out during the rainy season, while continuing the efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus in the Telangana.
KCR also cautioned the officials about people coming from abroad and also from other states by trains and other routes. “We have to conduct tests on everybody, including migrant labourers. Those who show symptoms should be shifted to hospitals and others to quarantine centres,” he said.
Telangana reported 40 new Covid-19 cases on Friday, taking the state’s tally to 1454. Of the new cases, 33 were from Greater Hyderabad and the remaining were those of migrants. No fresh deaths were reported for the third consecutive day.
