Second case of coronavirus reported in Telangana

The number of coronavirus cases in India has been witnessing a constant rise. In the latest, a patient in Hyderabad has reportedly tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday, taking the total number of cases in Telangana to two.

The patient has a travel history to Italy and has been isolated at the state-run Gandhi hospital in Hyderabad, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said on the floor of the Assembly on Saturday. Meanwhile, samples of two other patients exhibiting symptoms of coronavirus have been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune.

Stating that the Telangana Government has been taking several measures to contain the spread of the infection, the Chief Minister said that a cabinet meeting will be convened soon to decide the course of action. Mr. Rao also said that the situation will be treated on top priority and the state is prepared to allocate funds to the tune of Rs 5000 crore to combat the virus. Earlier, the techie who had become the first coronavirus positive case in Telangana was discharged after recovering.

It may be noted that several states in the country have called for the shut down of schools, colleges, cinema halls, and shopping malls as a precautionary measure amid the outbreak of coronavirus. Andhra Pradesh too has decided to implement the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 in the wake of the rampant spread.

Several sporting events too have been called off/rescheduled amid the fears. While the bilateral ODI series between India and South Africa has been called off, IPL 2020, which was originally scheduled to begin on 29 March, has been suspended till 15 April.