The Telangana government on Saturday decided to extend lockdown in the state for another two weeks as part of continuing the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
A resolution to this effect was adopted at the state cabinet, which had a five-hour long meeting in the camp office of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in the evening.
“We made the proposal to the Centre during the video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the morning. We are also writing a letter to this effect, along with the cabinet resolution, extending the lockdown up to April 30,” KCR told reporters after the cabinet meeting.
He said even after April 30, the lockdown would not be lifted completely, but would be in a phased manner, so as to bring the system back on rails in stages. “I appeal to all sections of the people to cooperate with the government in enforcing the lockdown, which is being done only for their own welfare and the future of our children,” he said.
He said all mass gatherings and public functions would be banned during the lockdown period. “Except agricultural activity, no other activity would be allowed,” he said.
The cabinet also decided to promote students of Classes 1 to 9 as there is no possibility of conducting the examinations. “With regard to Class X examinations, which were suspended midway due to lockdown, we shall take a decision shortly,” he said.
The chief minister said all the foreign returnees and those who had returned from Tablighi Jamaat conference, along with their contacts, had been traced and tested.
“While all the foreign returnees and their contacts have completed their quarantine, another 1,654 people among the Jamaat returnees and their contacts are still under quarantine,” he said.
He said till now, the state had recorded 503 positive cases, of which 96 people were discharged and 14 persons died. There were still 393 active cases. “The number of positive cases is gradually coming down. If there are no more fresh admissions, we are hopeful that we can come out of the crisis by April 24,” he said.
The chief minister said strict measures are being taken in 243 areas declared as containment areas in the state, including 123 in Hyderabad alone. “Fortunately, none of the persons undergoing treatment in hospitals and quarantined in containment areas and isolation centres is serious. Not a single case required oxygen supply or was on a ventilator,” he said.
