ULB polls: HC flags fears of virus spread

HYDERABAD:  Expressing  dissatisfaction over the contents of the report submitted by the State government, the Telangana High Court on Tuesday wanted to know the measures being taken to arrest the spread of Coronavirus during the elections to seven urban local bodies (ULBs), which are scheduled to go to polls on April 30.

A division bench of the High Court, while acknowledging the fact that night curfew had been imposed till April 30, wanted to know what else the State had done to rein in the pandemic. It wanted a reply from the State Election Commission on the measures being taken at the polling booths to keep Covid-19 at bay. The bench also desired to know the strategy evolved to prevent spread of infection at the time of counting of votes, and sought a report by April 29. 

The bench, at the same time, asked the Centre to consider the State’s plea for allotment of 600 tonnes of oxygen and directed the government to explain the action plan after April 30 when night curfew would end.

Covid death numbers are too few to be true, says HC 

The court felt unhappy over the Covid-19 cases doubling in a matter of one week in several areas.  It wanted bulletins on the extent of infection issued district wise on a daily basis and felt that the figures relating to Covid-19 deaths were too few to be true.

The bench directed the State to furnish details of grave yards in the State and the facilities available there. It asked the government to provide toll free numbers for people to get help for transporting the bodies of the Covid-19 victims. The court found it ridiculous that there were just four violations of social distancing norms across the State and directed the State to fine even those who wear masks improperly. The court adjourned the case to May 5.

Taking all measures: TS govt
Earlier in the day, the  government, in its report, maintained that it was taking all measures to rein in Covid-19. The government said it was ensuring that the visitors to pubs and liquor shops are scrupulously following the protocols .

The government also apprised the court that it had fetched oxygen from other states in advance so that the hospitals would not run out of the gas when they need it most.It has informed the court that it had conducted 23.55 lakh Covid-19 tests between April 1 and 25, of which 4.39 lakh are RT-PCR tests and the rest, rapid antigen tests. In the same period, as many as 341 people died of the infection and the positivity rate was 3.5 per cent.

The government also said that the Centre had allotted 230 tonnes of oxygen and that a nodal officer was appointed to oversee the process of administering Remdesivir drug to patients.