The number of persons testing COVID-positive in the State is mounting with 13 more persons testing positive in different districts on Friday, taking the number of cases to 983.
No deaths were reported during the day and the number remained at 25. In all, 29 were discharged from different hospitals taking their total number to 291. The State currently has 663 active cases undergoing treatment in different hospitals.
Health Minister Eatala Rajender said the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation area, Vikarabad, Suryapet and Jogulamba Gadwal districts continued to report COVID-19 cases. On an average, six to seven members in the families of the affected persons contacted the virus. For instance, 38 persons were tested positive in the 14 families that were affected in Vikarabad while 83 persons of 25 families affected by the virus in Suryapet tested positive.
The government has therefore intensified the containment measures ensuring that there was no inward/outward movement in these zones. The Health personnel were checking for symptoms among residents in each house in these areas. Current trend suggested that there would be significant decline in the number of cases soon, the Minister said adding that number of discharged persons may also increase soon.
“The number of discharged should have been more by now. But some of these patients tested positive after reporting negative in the first few rounds of tests. A case in Karimnagar turned positive after 28 days,” he said. The Minister expressed concern over the misinformation being spread by certain persons whom he called “psychos” through the social media using old unrelated photographs.
Leaders of political parties and voluntary organisations should stop criticising the government on the basis of such posts. He said steps were taken to ensure that food was provided to patients undergoing treatment in line with the medical protocol while all facilities had been put in place in hospitals to ensure that there was no inconvenience to patients. “There have been no complaints from patients who are being discharged and they are appreciating the facilities and quality of treatment that was provided to them,” he said.
He said thanks to the initiatives taken by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, the health infrastructure in the State has been significantly enhanced and steps have been taken to ensure that treatment could be provided even if the cases touch one lakh. In this context, he said Union Health Minister Harshvardhan appreciated the government’s steps during a video conference on Friday asking other States to emulate Telangana.
The State on its part reiterated its request to exempt import duties on medical equipment being procured from abroad as also the GST on the equipment purchased within the country. Replying to queries, he said doctors and other medical personnel in the State were not affected by the virus and the State had adequate number of personal protection equipment, N95 masks and other necessary equipment in its possession.
