No intention to fudge COVID-19 data: Telangana government to High Court

HYDERABAD: While informing the High Court that it is following the containment policy issued by the Centre on May 16, the Telangana government said it has no intention to fudge the data on Covid-19. Currently, there are 349 active containment zones in non-GHMC areas and 61 in the GHMC limits.

As per this policy, the trigger of action takes place when a cluster of influenza-like illness (ILI) or severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases are reported from a particular place.

A positive case will trigger a series of action for containment of the cluster, it added.

In this regard, the government, represented by Director of Public Health and Family Welfare Dr G Srinivasa Rao, filed a report on Monday before the court, which is dealing with a batch of PILs filed on the Covid-19 issue.

It stated that the media bulletins are being issued on a daily basis and the information published prominently in the newspapers.

The Central team, during its three-day visit to the State from June 26, suggested to ramp up testing. So far, about 2.08 lakh samples have been tested in the recent past, including about 1.37 lakh tests in the last 20 days.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) gave permission to 16 government and 23 private labs to conduct tests in the State. While the tests are being conducted free of cost in government labs, a Rs 2,200 ceiling has been fixed for tests done in private laboratories, and if the samples are collected from home then it is Rs 2,800, it said.

As per ICMR guidelines, the close contacts of Covid-19 patients are tested between day five and day 10 of coming into contact with such patients.

The government has no intention to fudge the data, it noted. There are nine hospitals in the GHMC area and 52 in other districts which are designated Covid-19 hospitals.

Sufficient stock of PPE kits and N-95 masks are available. The matter will come up for hearing on July 28.

Private drivers case: HC reserves verdict

Making it clear that it would not intervene in the government’s policy decisions, a division bench of the Telangana High Court reserved its orders in a PIL which sought directions to the State and Centre for providing financial assistance of Rs 15,000 each to four lakh private drivers in the State, including those of of Ola and Uber.

The bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy said the drivers could have formed an association and made a representation to the government instead of approaching the court.

It brushed aside the submission of the petitioner’s counsel that starvation deaths took place during the lockdown.