11 districts of Telangana on high alert as Covid turns stronger

HYDERABAD: Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Friday ordered all the 33 District Medical and Health Officers (DMHO) to increase testing, apart from activating the tracking and tracing mechanism, to detect Covid-19 cases. This sudden urgency comes after a massive spike in cases in neighbouring Maharashtra and Karnataka. The alert is mainly for 11 districts of Telangana, eight of which share their borders with Maharashtra and three which are densely populated.

Rajender, who held a tele-conference with the DMHOs, asked them to increase the number of tests to 50,000 per day. Nizamabad, Kamareddy, Nirmal, Adilabad, Asifabad, Mancherial, Jayashankar-Bhupalpally and Jagitial districts, which share their borders with Maharashtra, are on high alert. He also told officials to keep track of all those entering the State from Karnataka. “The department must ask people to be vigilant about those coming from other States for jobs, travel or weddings,” he said. 

Apart from these eight districts, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Rangareddy, Hyderabad and Sangareddy, which surround the State capital, have been told to stay vigilant and avoid Covid-19 from spreading in densely populated areas. “The virus has come as a pandemic and is unlikely to go away quickly. It is best if medical officials and people do not relax. People need to cooperate with the government and wear a mask, maintain physical distance and wash their hands frequently. It is better that they do not go on unnecessary trips,” Rajender said.He also held a meeting with the superintendents of hospitals and took stock of the medical arrangements. The Minister ordered them to increase the beds.

Meanwhile, after nearly two months of reporting cases below 40, the GHMC limits saw 44 cases on Thursday. The last time Hyderabad saw a high caseload was on January 20 with 55 cases. With 44 new infections of the 181 cases reported in the State, GHMC is contributing 24 per cent to TS’ caseload. Experts said even if sero-surveillance shows that 50 per cent of the people is infected, the other half is yet to have antibodies. 

Officials on guard

    Health Minister Eatala Rajender ordered all 33 DMHOs to increase testing, activate tracking and tracing mechanism
    Rajender, who held a tele-conference with the DMHOs, asked them to increase the number of tests to 50,000 per day
    Telangana reported 181 cases on Thursday and one death, taking the toll to 1,650
    Even though the cases are rising, they seem to be less severe as there is no significant increase in hospitalisation
    In the last five days, the overall bed occupancy at hospitals by Covid-19 patients was more or less the same