Telangana logs 4,416 Covid cases

Hyderabad, Jan 21: Telangana logged 4,416 new Covid cases on Friday, an increase of about five per cent over the previous day.

For a fourth consecutive day, health authorities tested over one lakh samples. According to the Director of Public Health and Family Welfare, 1,20,243 samples were tested during the 24-hour period.

The state's positivity rate remained low at 3.67 per cent. The 24-hour period ending 5.30 p.m. Friday saw two deaths, taking the cumulative toll to 4,069.

The state capital and surrounding districts continued to account for the majority of the cases. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) reported 1,670 new infections. The daily count also spiked to 417 in Medchal Malkajgiri but dropped to 301 in Rangareddy from 336 on Thursday.

Hanamkonda reported 178 and Khammam 117 new cases. The tally remained in double digits in the remaining 28 districts.

The number of active cases in the state rose to 29,127. Officials said 1,920 people recovered in the 24-hour period. The recovery rate has now dropped to 95.43 per cent.

In view of the increasing number of Covid cases, the health authorities on Friday launched a fever survey across the state. Healthcare workers are going door to door to identify those who have symptoms of Covid.

Those who tested positive for Covid and are symptomatic are being given home isolation kits. The government has prepared one crore such kits which will be distributed free of cost. Each kit contains seven medicines.

Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar visited Hilltop colony in Khairatabad and took stock of the door to door fever survey.

He said a multi disciplinary team comprising Asha/ANM/municipal/panchayat staff is visiting every colony and conducting the survey with a primary objective of identifying individuals with Covid-19 symptoms.A All the symptomatic persons are being supplied medicine kits and also being isolated immediately so as to break the transmission chains.

As part of the fever survey, the officials are also vaccinating all those left over persons, including those who are immobile. These people are being vaccinated at their door step.

The Chief Secretary stated that the government had earlier done fever surveys twice and the success of door to door survey in the earlier phases has encouraged them to launch a similar drive this time as well. He informed that daily more than one lakh tests are being conducted and one crore medical kits are readily available with the government.

Referring to availability of beds, he said that more than 56,000 beds both in public and private hospitals are equipped with oxygen facilities. He appealed to the public to participate in the door to door survey and cooperate with the government.