Telangana govt to continue extensive testing, containment measures: Minister

Special centres for swab collection had already been set up in the city for the purpose, he told reporters here. The state government, which has been accused by opposition parties of conducting low testing, had earlier this month said it would examine around 50,000 samples in the city and neighbouring areas, where the case load has remained high, as part of measures to check the virus spread.

The Telangana government would continue extensive COVID-19 testing and implement measures to contain the spread of coronavirus, state Health Minister E Rajender said on Monday. Special centres for swab collection had already been set up in the city for the purpose, he told reporters here.

The state government, which has been accused by opposition parties of conducting low testing, had earlier this month said it would examine around 50,000 samples in the city and neighbouring areas, where the case load has remained high, as part of measures to check the virus spread. As on Sunday, a total of 82,458 samples had been tested in the state where the total COVID-19 cases and deaths stood at 14,419 and 247 respectively.

We have set up special centres for swab collection in Hyderabad. Since there was a heavy load of samples, we took a two-day break and cleared it. From tomorrow onwards, we will collect swab extensively and test and continue the process of providing treatment as per Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's directives, he told reporters here. He also said the death rate in the state was 1.7 per cent as against three per cent at the national level.

The state government would announce containment zones in the city areas where positive cases were rising and restrict movement of people, he said. Rao has spoken about re-imposing lockdown, if need be, in Hyderabad to check the virus spread and would convene a state cabinet meeting in another four-five days to discuss the situation, he said.

Asserting that there was no shortage of beds to treat COVID-19 cases, the Minister said arrangements were being made to provide oxygen facility to 10,000 out of the 17,081 beds identified by authorities. The private labs, where shortcomings have been found in testing, have been asked to rectify, he added.

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