In view of rising COVID-19 cases, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday, January 3, said that holidays will be declared at all educational institutions in the state from January 8 to 16. At a meeting with ministers and officials on the rising COVID-19 cases in Telangana, KCR said beds, oxygen-supported beds, medicines and testing kits be procured as required, according to an official release.
He also decided to set up more 'Basti Dawakhanas' (clinics in residential localities) across the state to provide medical services to common people. The Chief Minister appealed to the people not to panic over the Omicron scare but follow precautions and COVID-19 appropriate behaviour. Health officials informed KCR that a lockdown is not necessary at present according to the Union government's guidelines.
He was told that gatherings should be avoided and precautions should be taken without fail, the release said.
The Chief Minister noted that 99% of the beds in government hospitals have been provided with oxygen facilities and asked the officials to also turn the remaining one percent into oxygen beds. In the past, the state's oxygen capacity was 140 tonnes but now it has been increased to 324 tonnes, the release said, adding that KCR asked officials to take measures to further enhance the capacity to 500 tonnes.
The officials informed the Chief Minister that 20 lakh home isolation kits are available in the state, and he directed them to increase the same to one crore. Similarly, he also wanted the Health Department to ensure availability of two crore testing kits against the existing availability of 35 lakh kits.