After several weeks, Health Minister Harish Rao reiterated the COVID-19 precautions of always wearing a mask and avoid moving in groups and crowded places.
On Saturday, the Minister directed officials and heads of all levels at government hospitals to conduct tests on anybody detected with COVID symptoms.
This comes a day after Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan advised the State Health officials to follow the Test-Track-Treat-Vaccination strategy and focus on COVID-appropriate behaviour, genomic sequencing, and other measures.
“The State must maintain a strict watch and take pre-emptive action if required to control any emerging spread of infection,” stated Rajesh Bhushan in the letter dated June 3.
Telangana reported a spike in cases on June 1 and 2. The daily case load on June 1 was 75. The last time over 70 cases was recorded was in March this year.
Citing the high case load in other countries, such as 50,000 cases a day in Germany, Mr. Rao said that the positivity rate in the world has increased. Referring to increase in cases in 23 States, he said that the positivity rate in Telangana did not increase by a huge margin. It was 0.5% the previous week, and 0.4% prior to that.
However, the Health Minister said that everyone should be on alert. People have been asked to get tested without delay if COVID symptoms were found. Tests, medicines and vaccines are provided free of cost at government health facilities, he said.
“Preparations have been made at all PHCs to teaching hospitals. There is no need to panic. The Health department has made all sorts of arrangements. The only thing you have to do is wear a mask and follow COVID appropriate behaviour,” he added.
Principal secretary Syed Ali Murtaza Rizvi, director of Health and Family Welfare Swetha Mohanty, chairman of TSMIDC Errolla Srinivas, commissioner of Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad Ajaya Kumar, and Director of Medical Education K. Ramesh Reddy, were present at the meeting.
