From Our Bureau
24TH JULY 2020
Telangana witnessed a surge with 1,640 COVID-19 fresh cases reported on Friday, taking the State’s total to 52,466 confirmed cases. The death toll rose to 455, with eight fresh fatalities reported in the last 24 hours. In all, 40,334 patients recovered so far, including 1,007 in the last 24 hours.
As on today, 11,677 active confirmed cases are in the hospitals or in home quarantine, as per the latest official update. The number of recovered patients accounted for 76.9 percent of the total positive cases in the State. Active cases constituted 22.2 percent of the total positive cases. Fatalities accounted for 0.90 percent of the total positive cases.
According to the Director of Public Health and Family Welfare, as many as 3,37,771 samples were tested in the State cumulatively, including 15,445 in the last 24 hours. Only 10.6 percent of the samples tested positive in the last 24 hours. Cumulative sample positivity rate was 15.5 percent. The tests per million population worked out to 8,444 as on date. Total number of testing laboratories is 39, including 16 government labs and 23 private labs.
COVID positive cases were reported from 31 out of 33 districts on Friday. The tally included 683 cases in GHMC area, 135 in Rangareddy district, 102 in Sangareddy district, 100 in Karimnagar district, 98 in Peddapalli district, 56 in Kamareddy district, 52 in Nagarkurnool district, 44 in Mahbubabad district, 42 in Nalgonda district, 36 in Warangal Urban district, 30 in Medchal district, 24 in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, 22 each in Medak and Warangal Rural districts, 20 in Rajanna Siricilla district, 18 each in Nizamabad and Wanaparthy districts, 17 in Jagityal district, 14 in Mulugu district, 13 in Khammam district, 11 in Bhadradri Kothagudem, Mahbubnagar, Suryapet and Yadadri Bhongiri districts, 10 in Jangaon district, nine in Adilabad district, eight each in Siddipet and Vikarabad districts, seven each in Jogulamba Gadwal and Mancherial districts and one in Nirmal district.
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, 1,145 are ICUs beds and 471 are ventilator beds. As on date, the bed occupancy is 10.92 percent and 89.08 percent of the available beds are vacant. Only 1,865 beds were occupied and 15,216 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)
