Photo for representation.

Naveen S Garewal
Tribune News Service
Hyderabad, November 22

Telangana has prepared itself to face the second wave of COVID-19 hitting the country.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) on Sunday directed officials to take all the preventive measures needed to keep the pandemic under check. He assured all government help to meet any eventuality in case the state was hit by a second wave.

“Maintaining personal safety is the best medicine to prevent COVID-19,” he told the people adding that whenever a vaccine was made available, it would first be given to healthcare workers and people from Telangana would benefit from it being produced in the state.

He said that despite an increase in number of tests being conducted, positive cases were less than 10 per cent and the recovery rate was 94.5 per cent.

“Though COVID-19 patients are suffering to some extent, the mortality rate is very low in the state. The state government remains on high alert and is taking all the necessary precautions in the state,” he said.

He disclosed that 10,000 beds with oxygen facility were kept ready across the state, he advised the officials to increase their numbers.

Surge in Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and other states was worrisome, but the situation in Telangana was under control, he said.

He added even in Kerala and Karnataka the cases were increasing marginally.

“It has been pointed out that with the increase in number of cases in some states; there could be a second wave of COVID-19 in the country. But the state is in a position to withstand a second wave and for this, officials should be alert and make necessary arrangements to face any eventuality,” he added.

Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, Principal Secretary for Medical and Health Murtuza Rizvi, Principal Secretary for CMO S Narsing Rao, Principal Secretary for Finance Ramakrishna Rao, Secretary Smita Sabharwal, Medical and Health Director Srinivas Rao, Director of Medical Education Ramesh Reddy, COVID-19 Experts Committee member Gangadhar and deliberated on various points to keep the pandemic under control in the meeting.