People wait to give swab samples for the Covid test outside Hyderabad’s Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital. (PTI)
Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad Coronavirus News Live Updates: Telangana continued to witness a spike in COVID-19 cases on Saturday, taking the infection count in the state to 20,462 and toll to 283. A state government bulletin said 11,537 people have been discharged so far, while 10,487 were under treatment. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh has recorded 16,934 cases so far, including 206 deaths, with 765 fresh COVID-19 cases and 12 deaths reported in the last 24 hours.
Coronavirus cases may have shot up by a whopping 14,000 in just over a month in Andhra Pradesh, but the state government said the pandemic spread is at a “manageable” level right now.
For the last few days, India’s novel Coronavirus numbers are being powered mainly by the surge in the four southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. All the four are now in the top ten list of states with maximum caseload in the country, and at the moment these the only four in the top ten where the Coronavirus cases are growing at a rate faster than the national growth rate.
At a mobile swab collection centre in Vijayawada. (PTI)
An 83-year-old ex-serviceman in Hyderabad, who was left to fend for himself at an apartment by his children, was shifted to the Government Chest Hospital after he complained of bad cold, cough, fever, and body pain on Saturday morning.
Chennaiah Goud was shifted by the municipal corporation and city police on the directions of the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) after the neighbours refused to help suspecting him of the Covid-19 disease.
In his petition to the Commission on July 2, Gangula German Reddy, a former naib subedar in the Indian Army himself, who resides in the same apartment complex as Goud, said the apartment residents, fearing for Goud’s well being approached the Langar House police station and a sub-inspector from the police station also spoke to Goud’s son asking him to take responsibility for the aged father.
A top Hyderabad jeweller who threw a lavish birthday bash attended by at least 100 people died of the coronavirus on Saturday, sparking panic among the attendees who scrambled to get themselves tested at private labs in the city. The owner of another top jewellery chain, who, too, attended the party, also died of Covid-19 on Saturday. Officials suspect he contracted the infection from the host, who owns a high-end jewellery store in Himayatnagar area.
At least 100 members of the jewellers association attended the party recently. Two days after the bash, the host developed Covid-19 symptoms and was admitted to a private hospital.
With nearly 25,000 new infections in the past 24 hours, total number of covid cases in India now stand at 6.7 lakh. The total is now 6,73,165 -- roughly 800 cases behind Russia, which is the third worst-hit nation from coronavirus. The number of dead stand at 19,268, while there are over 4.9 lakh recoveries
Citizens Against Pollution, a Hyderabad-based organisation, has opposed the Telangana Government’s plan to set up a separate Hyderabad Pharma City saying that the existing pharma industry is responsible for severe pharma pollution and existence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in the city’s water bodies. The organisation comprises of environment policy experts, former scientists, and environment activists.
“The idea of putting Hyderabad on the international map by setting up pharma city ignores the fact that this city is already on the international map for several reasons, including severe pharma pollution and existence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in its water bodies. Telangana is suffering immensely from industrial pollution, particularly by pharmaceutical companies. Our rivers, lakes and groundwater are getting polluted severely. Several studies by national and international institutions have shown that hazardous chemicals have completely contaminated our groundwater. Several villages, in Medak, Nalgonda, Rangareddy and Mahabubnagar districts, are facing this problem. Health of villagers is seriously and severely affected. Their livelihoods are vanishing, and in general, poverty is on the rise. At this stage, it would be foolish to invite and establish more pharmaceutical units,’’ a statement from the organisation said.
The Karnataka government will soon build a massive pilgrim amenities complex and marriage hall at Tirumala, the hill abode of Lord Venkateswara, at an estimated cost of Rs 200 crore, a temple official said. The state would soon submit a blueprint for the construction of the Rs 200 crore mega complexes to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) that governs the hill shrine, the official told PTI.
For the last few days, India’s novel Coronavirus numbers are being powered mainly by the surge in the four southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. All the four are now in the top ten list of states with maximum caseload in the country, and at the moment these the only four in the top ten where the Coronavirus cases are growing at a rate faster than the national growth rate.
Welcome to the Indian Express live blog. The growth of COVID-19 in southern states has been worrying. Follow this space to track the latest developments from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh