The daily COVID-19 positive cases in Telangana came down below the 5,000 mark on Sunday after a gap of three weeks as 4,976 new cases were reported during the 24-hour period till 5.30 p.m. on Sunday as the number of tests done too were the second lowest for the day since March 13.
Although the daily positivity rate is still high in the State at around 8.99% — 4,976 positives out of 55,358 samples tested on Sunday — the daily positive cases are coming down gradually for the simple reason of low testing. A look at the statistics released by the Public Health Department clearly indicate the tendency.
Following the directions of the High Court to scale up the tests, the daily COVID tests crossed one lakh mark for the first time on April 8 and it continued till April 24. However, from April 25 onwards the daily tests have been coming down gradually. After crossing the 5,000 mark on April 17, the daily positive cases remained over that number all these days with the exception on April 18. With the fresh cases, the total cases reported in the State so far have reached 4,97,361. With 35 more deaths reported on Sunday, the total fatalities due to the coronavirus infection have reached 2,739.
As 7,646 persons infected with the virus were declared recovered on Sunday, the total recoveries have reached 4,28,865 so far. In spite of the lower number of tests, the GHMC and its surrounding districts continue to contribute to the COVID surge in the State as 851 cases were reported from the GHMC area followed by 417 from Rangareddy, 384 from Medchal-Malkajigiri and 304 from Siddipet.
Nirmal and Kumram Bheem-Asifabad districts reported the lowest of 26 cases each on Sunday followed by 29 in Mulugu, 33 in Medak, 34 each in Kamareddy and Jangaon, 38 in Narayanpet, 46 in Jayashankar-Bupalapally and 47 in Adilabad. In the remaining 20 districts, the positive cases reported on Sunday ranged between 56 (Warangal Rural) and 271 (Karimnagar).
Based on the active cases, the Health Department has identified 112 localities in the State as micro-containment zones with a highest of 14 in Hyderabad, 13 in Asifabad and 10 each in Rangareddy, Siddipet and Warangal Urban. In another 17 districts, the containment zones to limit the spread are in the single-digits and there are no such zones in the remaining 11 districts.