Hyderabad: Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday announced that the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown will be extended for 10 more days. However, the relaxation hours were extended (6 a.m.) to 1 p.m.. The state government has also given one more hour after 1 p.m. for the public to reach their destinations or home.
The decision was taken during the state cabinet meeting which met on Sunday at Pragathi Bhavan to review the COVID-19 situation in the state and decision on lockdown. This is the second extension in the lockdown since its imposition on May 12.
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As per the report submitted by the state health department, the chief minister had allowed to extend the lockdown timing till 2 p.m., but all the commercial establishments will however close by 1 p.m. There will be strict imposition of lockdown from 2 p.m. to 6 a.m. As per the latest health bulletin, the number of COVID-19 cases in the state have plateaued, with the mortality rate also being “satisfactory”.
During the lockdown period earlier, the Telangana government had allowed the public four hours as relaxation, from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. to buy essential commodities. On May 18, the government took another major decision to extend the lockdown till May 30.
It may be noted that KCR was also against the idea of a night curfew or lockdown to be imposed in the state. But in view of the rising number of COVID-19 cases, state chief secretary Somesh Kumar held discussions with KCR and imposed the night curfew.
Due to the lockdown the state finances has also been badly hit and the government is keen to revive the economy also. Meanwhile the state government is exploring different options on the lockdown issue. Moreover, ever since the state and city police decided to crackdown against lockdown violators, several instances of police brutality that have surfaced, particularly in Hyderabad.
In fact, a day earlier on May 29, a youth in the Old City was severely injured on his face after he was beaten by a police constable from the Bhavani Nagar police station. Disciplinary action has been initiated against the police constable, who was also been attached to the CAR headquarters here.