50 fresh COVID-19 cases in Telangana

As many as 50 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Telangana on Thursday, taking the number of active cases in the state cumulatively to 496.

No death occurred on Thursday and the number of people who succumbed to the virus remained at 18, a state government bulletin said.

According to the bulletin, 68 people were cured/discharged from hospitals on Thursday after recovery.

With this, the number of people discharged rose to 186.

With 50 cases being reported, the total positive cases reported in the state mounted to 700.

The bulletin said measures to contain the virus are being taken in 13 districts and 159 clusters.

State Health Minister E Rajender told reporters that 90 per cent of the fresh cases are from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).

The intensity of the virus is less in rural areas in the state, he said.

More number of positive cases were found when samples from Hyderabad were tested, he said.

About 10,000 tests have been done so far.

About 640 of the total 700 positive cases are those who returned after participating in a religious congregation in Delhi and their contacts, the minister said.

He appealed to those who came in contact with the positive cases to report to the authorities, before the administration reached out to them, so that the virus can be contained soon.

In one instance, 20 members of a single family in the city were found positive because of one positive case, he said.

Rajender said two more labs in the city have got permission to conduct the COVID-19 tests.

The tests are already being conducted at about six state-run labs.

Telangana would soon acquire the capacity to conduct 5,000 tests per day with new machinery expected to be put in place in the city in another three weeks, he added.

Replying to a query, he said the state government has applied to ICMR to use plasma for treatment of COVID-19 patients and would go by the recommendations of the ICMR.

On Thursday, state IT and Municipal Administration Minister K T Rama Rao inspected the containment zones at Khairatabad, and other areas in the city and interacted with the local residents.

The Telangana Cabinet, which would meet on April 19, is expected to discuss COVID-19 containment measures and whether to continue lockdown in the state strictly, as it is being implemented now, till May 3, or to give some concessions in line with the Centres thinking, an official release said on Thursday.

In the wake of attacks on doctors treating COVID-19 patients in the state, Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) M Mahendar Reddy has warned of stringent action against all those accused involved in such incidents even if they happen to be COVID-19 patients or their attendants.

Meanwhile, in a tweet, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, quoting a statement from Jamia Nizamia, one of the oldest Islamic seminaries of higher learning based in the city, said the Hyderabad Muftis and Ulemas of all schools of thought have appealed that 'taraweeh' (prayer) be offered at home during the coming Ramzan.

"In a statement from Jamia Nizamia, Hyderabad Muftis & Ulemas of all Schools of Thought have appealed that taraweeh be offered at home during the coming month of Ramzan.

Of course, these guidelines do not just apply to Telangana & AP, they are to be strictly followed across India," he tweeted.