After Home Minister Mahmood Ali, his colleague and Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, T Padma Rao and five members of his family tested positive for coronavirus on Monday, according to reports.
The Secunderabad MLA and his family members are availing treatment at a private hospital in Secunderabad, reported Andhra Jyothi, a regional newspaper. Other members of his family and contacts have been put under home isolation.
According to reports, Padma Rao underwent the COVID-19 test after showing symptoms of the disease. The test reports, which came out on Monday, reportedly turned positive for SARS- CoV-2.
The Deputy Speaker, who is a resident of Secunderabad, had engaged in relief works in his constituency before being hospitalised.
So far, five leaders from the ruling TRS party — Mahmood Ali, Padma Rao, Bigala Ganesh Gupta, Bajireddy Goverdhan and Muttireddy Yadagiri Reddy — have been infected.
Two leaders from Congress — Gudur Narayana and V Hanumantha Rao — also tested positive for coronavirus.
Meanwhile, 975 people in Telangana tested positive on Monday, taking the state's toll to 15,394. Six deaths were also recorded, taking the death toll to 253.
With 410 patients recovering on Monday, the state presently has 9,559 active cases.
Out of the 975 cases on Monday, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation recorded 861 cases. The neighbouring districts of Rangareddy and Medchal districts reported 60 cases. The remaining cases were reported from 13 districts.
‘Focus on containment measures’: Centre
On Monday, a team from the Central government, led by Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Health, Medical and Family Welfare, Luv Agarwal, visited COVID-19 designated hospitals in Hyderabad and interacted with top officials.
The central team suggested that the state focus on containment measures, increasing testing capacity, tracing and clinical management in the state. An action plan for the next two months should be formulated keeping in view the likely increase in the cases.
The team visited Gandhi Hospital and the newly created Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS) in Gachibowli.
The panel also visited the containment area of Dhobigalli in Domalaguda and took stock of the ground-level situation.
Later, the team met Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and other senior officers and held a detailed discussion on the steps to be taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The health department made a detailed presentation on the steps taken for COVID-19 management in the state. The team was briefed on the surveillance and containment measures, hospital preparedness, procurement of protection equipment and preventive measures.
The team was told that the state has a capacity of 17,081 beds. The government has recruited 4,489 additional staff to strengthen treatment. An amount of Rs 475.74 crores has been sanctioned towards strengthening medical infrastructure.
The central team shared their field visit experience of other states and expressed satisfaction particularly appreciated the hospital management in the state.
IANS inputs