Hyderabad: Second wave of COVID-19 infections in Telangana is becoming a major cause of worry, with active cases in the state reaching 21,864 as of Sunday.
The health department bulletin revealed that 2,251 new confirmed cases reported in the state in the previous 24 hours, raising the total tally to 3,29,529. Six more deaths on Sunday increased the fatality number to 1,765.
GHMC reported as many as 355 positives on Sunday, and the bordering Medchal-Malkajgiri with 258 cases, and Rangareddy with 200 cases. Apart from these which have always topped the COVID-19 list, the state is currently witnessing a spurt of cases in semi-urban and rural districts.
A high alert has already been sounded in districts bordering Maharashtra and Karnataka, where cases are rising exponentially by the day. It was noted that many residents of Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district come to Mahadevpoor, Chityal and Kaleshwaram in the state’s Bhupalpally district to engage in agricultural or personal work.
Moreover, Nizamabad on Sunday reported 244 positives; followed by Sangareddy with 132, Jagtiyal with 117, Nirmal with 84, Adilabad with 77, Kamareddy with 70, Mahbubnagar with 53, Mancherial with 41, Medak with 27, Jayashankar Bhupalpally with 18, Asifabad with 17 cases recorded and Mulugu with 7 new confirmed cases.
Some of these districts last month were called COVID-free, with zero cases reported.
Taking cognizance of rising COVID-19 cases, two villages in Adilabad district–Ponnala and Boath on Thursday imposed a self-lockdown.
Last week, after 27 residents tested positive, Sirpur village in Jagityal district went to self-imposed lockdown until April 15. Similarly, Garmillapalle and Edapally villages of Jayashankar Bhupalapally district self-imposed lockdown
Acknowledging that controlling the second wave of COVID-19 cases is becoming a difficult task, Telangana health department officials said on Sunday that if proper precautions are not taken to defeat the virus, many will get affected.
The state government has strict rules for enforcing the mandatory mask rule with a fine of Rs 1,000 and has stepped up screenings and vaccinations to reduce new cases.
“The chief minister urged people in Telangana to follow all COVID-19 guidelines and be alert to contain the spread of the virus. He imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 per person for not wearing masks and said that for the curtailment of the COVID-19 pandemic, the wearing of masks should be implemented strictly,” a CMO statement read.
“Whoever is eligible to take the vaccine must take it and that is one way to break the chain of the spread now,” director of public health Dr G Srinivasa Rao said on Sunday.
Over 18.56 lakh people in the state have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine while over 3.02 lakh got their second shot also as of April 11, a bulletin by the state health ministry noted.