From Our Bureau
26TH JULY 2020
Telangana witnessed a surge with 1,473 COVID-19 fresh cases reported on Sunday, taking the State’s total to 55,532 confirmed cases. The death toll rose to 471, with eight fresh fatalities reported in the last 24 hours. In all, 42,106 patients recovered so far, including 774 in the last 24 hours. The death rate was 0.85 percent in Telangana as against the national average of 2.3 percent.
As on today, 12,955 active confirmed cases are in the hospitals or in home quarantine, as per the latest official update. The number of recovered patients accounted for 75.82 percent of the total positive cases in the State. Active cases constituted 23.33 percent of the total positive cases. Fatalities accounted for 0.85 percent of the total positive cases.
According to the Director of Public Health and Family Welfare, as many as 3,63,242 samples were tested in the State cumulatively, including 9,817 in the last 24 hours. Cumulative sample positivity rate was 15.29 percent. The tests per million population worked out to 245 today. Total number of testing laboratories for RT-PCR/CBNAAT/TRUENAT tests is 39, including 16 government labs and 23 private labs. Besides, there are 320 rapid antigen testing centres run by the Government.
The COVID positive cases were reported from 30 out of 33 districts on Sunday. The tally included 506 cases in GHMC area, 168 in Rangareddy district, 111 in Warangal Urban district, 98 in Sangareddy district, 91 in Karimnagar district, 86 in Medchal Malkajgiri district, 41 in Nizamabad district, 34 in Mahbubabad district, 32 each in Jogulamba Gadwal and Suryapet districts, 28 each in Adilabad and Nalgonda districts, 20 in Khammam district, 19 each in Nagarkurnool and Rajanna Siricilla districts, 18 in Jagityal district, 17 each in Kamareddy and Medak district, 14 in Mancherial district, 12 each in Mulugu and Siddipet districts, 11 in Yadadri Bhongiri district, 10 each in Bhadradri Kothagudem, Jangaon and Jayashankar Bhupalpally districts, nine in Wanaparthy district, eight each in Mahbubnagar and Warangal Rural districts and two each in Narayanpet and Vikarabad districts. No cases were reported from Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Nirmal and Peddapalli districts.
As on today, 61 Government hospitals have established a capacity of 17,081 COVID beds, of which 11,928 are isolations beds, 3,537 are oxygen beds, 1,616 ICUs beds. A total of 1,117 ventilators are available in these hospitals. As on date, the bed occupancy is 12.12 percent and 87.88 percent of the available beds are vacant. Only 2,070 beds were occupied and 15,011 beds were vacant.
The Gandhi Hospital, Secunderabad, is identified as the “Centre of Excellence for COVID Care,” where serious cases are admitted. The other major hospitals in Hyderabad where suspects and moderately symptomatic cases are admitted are District Hospital King Koti, Government Chest Hospital and Sir Ronald Ross Institute of Tropical Medicine (Fever Hospital).
The asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients requesting for institutional quarantine are admitted in Nature Cure Hospital, Govt. Nizamia Hospital, Govt. Ayurveda Hospital and Govt. Homeopathy Hospital.
Patients with moderate to severe symptoms, with COVID positive report are advised to go to Gandhi Hospital where the Government has made elaborate arrangements for treatment and management. Patients with symptoms but not yet confirmed and requiring COVID-19 testing should go to District Hospital, King Koti, Fever Hospital and Chest Hospital.
The Government has made elaborate arrangements for treating COVID-19 patients. Sufficient beds are available in Government hospitals. Based on the clinical requirements, beds are provided and treatment is given free of cost in Government hospitals. Sufficient quantities of personal protection equipment (PPE) and medicines are available in these hospitals.
The lockdown has been relaxed since the 16th May 2020. It is being observed that there is a lot of mobility and movement of people from all walks of life and of all age groups. People are travelling across the state and some of them are not following the basic preventive measures like wearing a mask, maintaining safe physical distancing and avoiding overcrowding. There has been a surge in the cases since relaxation of lockdown. (eom)
