Telangana CM says COVID-19 active cases confined to four zones in Hyderabad;40 fresh cases recorded on Friday

Barring four zones of Hyderabad, there are no COVID-19 active cases in the state,Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao said on Friday, as 40 people tested positive for the virus. COVID-19 cases are confined to only LB Nagar, Malakpet, Charminar and Karwan zones in Hyderabad, Rao said.

Rao, who held a meeting with ministers and officials on the COVID-19 situation, said lockdown in the state would continue as it is and that further strategy would be decided as per the guidelines to be given by the Centre after the ongoing nationwide lockdown comes an end on May 17.

"Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has declared that except in four zones in Hyderabad, there are no coronavirus active cases in the State," an official release said on Friday night.

Rao had earlier announced lockdown in the state till May 29.

The release said shops selling ACs, automobile spare parts and also automobile showrooms would be permitted to open from Saturday.

On Friday, 40 fresh cases of COVID-19 were reported which took the number of virus cases in the state to 1,454.

No fresh death was reported and the number of deaths continued to be 34, according to a COVID-19 bulletin issued by the state government.

The number of people cured/discharged as on date was 959 and the number of active cases in the state stood at 461.

"Coronavirus in Telangana has limited itself to four zones in Hyderabad city. LB Nagar, Malakpet, Charminar, Karawan Zones have corona active cases.

There are 1442 families in these areas," he said.

Only some migrant workers in Yadadri Bhongir, Jangaon and Mancherial districts have tested positive for the virus, but not residents of the districts, he said.

Hence, it cannot be considered that three districts are having the positive cases, he said.

The lockdown restrictions are being implemented completely in the four containment zones where there are positive cases, he said.

Observing that there is nothing to be scared about the virus, Rao said a strategy to live with it has to be adopted as it is not known how long the virus would remain active.

"A majority of people have been recovering from the virus.

In Telangana state, the percentage of people who died due to the coronavirus was only 2.38 per cent.This is less than the nation's average of 3.5 per cent," he said.

"Hence, there is no need to be fearful about corona.We don't know how long this virus will be with us.

.....we have to adapt a strategy to live with it and we have no option," the CM said.

The state government has earlier allowed, among few others, shops related to agriculture and construction activities besides liquor shops to function.

Rao instructed officials to take precautionary measures to prevent outbreak of seasonal diseases during the coming rainy season, while continuing the efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the state.