Telangana focus on Hyderabad, accounting about half of state's COVID-19 cases

307 out of 626 positive cases as of Monday night are from the Hyderabad civic body jurisdiction, prompting chief minister Chandrasekhar Rao to instruct officials to focus their attention on the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation

With about half of Telangana’s COVID-19 cases reported from Hyderabad, Telangana’s health machinery has concentrated anti-virus measures in the capital area to contain the surging statistics in the state.

307 out of 626 positive cases, reported as of Tuesday night, are from the Hyderabad civic body jurisdiction, prompting chief minister Chandrasekhar Rao to ask officials to focus their attention on the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.

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626 is the number of active cases (516) and those recovered (110). Most of the 18 dead in the state are also from Hyderabad. A vast majority of Telangana's cases are connected to the Tablighi Jamaat event.

Read: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths

GHMC is spread over three districts – Hyderabad, RangaReddy and Medchal-Malkajgiri.

“More cases are getting registered in the densely populated Greater Hyderabad area, where the probability of the virus spread to others is high. Hence, there should be a special strategy for GHMC,” Rao said in his virus situation review on Monday.

Following the CM’s instructions, a senior medical officer is assigned for each of the 30 circles of the GHMC, to be assisted by a municipal, police and revenue officer. This is in place of one medical and health officer for one entire district, normally.

“Since the majority of cases are in GHMC, we are adopting a special strategy in Hyderabad where a robust containment effort is initiated. In the 30 GHMC circles, senior officers (Doctors) are being vested with the DMHO powers to ensure immediate action,” a senior health department official said.

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Out of the 221 containment clusters in Telangana, 139 are in Hyderabad, where in and out public movement is totally prohibited with high barricades and heavy police deployment. Government machinery is supplying essential commodities to people inside. The crowded Mallepally in old quarters of Hyderabad where the Tablighi activities are centered is one such spot. Several of Markaz attendees have reportedly stayed in a religious place here for a few days on their return from Nizamuddin, before returning homes in various parts of Telangana.

Stating that measures taken by the government alone as insufficient, Rao appealed that people should strictly adhere to the government instructions to help prevent further spread of the virus.

1398 persons are home quarantined in Hyderabad.

“Identification of Markaz attendees; their tests are going on. In case of someone failing to undergo tests, they should come forward voluntarily. This is for their own and family members’ safety and wellbeing,” the CM said, after a review meeting on Sunday, while expressing concern that Coronavirus spread as not stopping.