With Hyderabad continuing to report a high number of Covid-19 positive cases, the Telangana government is weighing a proposal to reimpose a lockdown for about 15 days in the State capital region.

At a review meeting here on Sunday, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao said that there was a proposal from the Health Department to reimpose the lockdown after witnessing a spurt in the number of cases in the city.

Health Minister, Eatala Rajender, said that several medical and health officials have asked the government to consider imposition of a 15-day lockdown in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits.

The CM said the government would finalise a strategy to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the next three to four days. A Cabinet meeting would be convened, if need be, to discuss the proposal.

On Saturday, the State reported 1,087 new Covid-19 positive cases, the highest for a single day ever, since the first case reported in March. As many as 243 patients have succumbed to the infection so far.

Of the 1,087 cases, over 90 per cent (888) of the cases were reported from the GHMC area. The Hyderabad region continues to be the hotspot over the last few weeks.

The number positive cases witnessed a sharp rise after the State increased the number of tests from about 300-500 a day to 3,000 a day. “People don’t need to be worried seeing a spurt in the number of cases. The government made all the arrangements to treat all the patients,” the Chief Minister assured.

“We have kept thousands of beds ready in both government and private hospitals and in college-hospitals. Asymptomatic patients are being treated at their homes,” said the Health Minister.

Shanta Kumari, Special Chief Secretary (Medical and Health), said that the average death rate in Telangana stood at 1.52 per cent as against 3.04 per cent at the national level.

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