With the Centre on Sunday announcing guidelines for the fourth phase of the countrywide lockdown, the Telangana Cabinet will meet on Monday to discuss the same and decide the strategy to be implemented in the state.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will chair the meeting at his official residence Pragathi Bhavan at 5 pm.
As the Centre has left it to the states to colour-code the coronavirus-affected zones according to the number of cases and thereby take a final decision on the activities to be allowed in a particular area, the Cabinet meeting is being considered crucial.
The state government on May 5 had announced extension of the lockdown till May 29. As the Centre on Sunday extended the lockdown till May 31, the state cabinet is expected to decide whether to extend the lockdown in the state by another few days or beyond.
The state government is expected to allow relaxations in the lockdown in tune with the fresh guidelines issued by the Centre. It may allow resumption of many activities outside the containment zones in Hyderabad and two adjacent districts.
The Chief Minister dropped indications to this effect during the last few days. He had told a meeting on Friday that no one should be scared of coronavirus. "We don't know how long this virus will be with us. Hence, we have to adapt a strategy to live with it and we have no option," KCR had said.
He also stated that except in four zones in Hyderabad, there are no active cases of coronavirus in the state.
From Saturday, the government allowed re-opening of shops selling air conditioners, automobile showrooms and shops selling automobile spare parts across the state.
The government has already permitted construction activity, including in the red zones, while some economic activity has already resumed in orange and green zone districts.
Meanwhile, forty-two fresh cases of COVID-19 were reported on Sunday taking the total number of cases to 1,551 in Telangana.
Of the 42 affected, 37 were from the jurisdiction of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC),two were from Ranga Reddy district and three were migrants. Twenty-one patients were discharged after treatment taking the total number of discharged patients to 992 till date.
So far, 34 people have died of the virus in Telangana while the active cases stood at 525.