Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashkhar Rao on Saturday directed officials to continue implementation of the lockdown strictly, in an indication that there will be no relaxation for certain sectors after April 20 as suggested by the Centre.
On a day when the state reported 43 new cases, taking Telangana's tally to 809, the Chief Minister instructed officials concerned to continue implementing the current methods to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The announcement was made on Saturday night after the Chief Minister held a review meeting with top officials, a day before the cabinet meeting which is expected to take a formal decision on continuing the lockdown in its current form till May 3.
KCR asked officials to ensure that no one suffers due to hunger during the lockdown period in the state.
"Coronavirus is spreading in the state as well as in the country. Against this backdrop, the entire official machinery should be on high alert. Don't neglect. Since positive cases are on the rise in Hyderabad, have a strategic approach here. Administer containments properly," a press note from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) quoted him as saying.
"Don't allow anyone from those areas to come out under any circumstances. Be on alert in the areas where coronavirus positive patients were living and plan strategies accordingly. The government is ready to conduct tests and give treatment to any number of patients," KCR added.
The Chief Minister also said that the poor should not suffer due to lockdown. The government has supplied rice and cash to the white ration cardholders. KCR asked officials to identify daily wage workers and extend assistance to them.
Meanwhile, the state government has issued instructions to municipal commissioners and additional collectors of districts to ensure that all medical shops and pharmacists collect phone numbers of customers who buy medicines for fever, cough and cold -- symptoms similar to COVID-19.
In a memo on Friday, Principal Secretary (Municipal Administration and Urban Development) Arvind Kumar said that it has been observed that due to "hesitation and perceived social stigma", people suffering from fever or cold symptoms which might be similar to coronavirus are approaching medical shops directly on their own and asking for fever medicines.
"It is imperative that in a proactive manner we follow up on these cases which are having fever and other such symptoms which might be similar to those of coronavirus. We should be able to contact these patients and get a test conducted depending upon the symptoms," the memo said.
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With PTI and IANS inputs