Telangana High Court issued an ultimatum to the state government to either put in restrictions or night curfew to curb the spread of the virus in the state within the next 48 hours or it will pass orders. This came on a day when chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao tested positive for Covid -19.
According to a statement issued by the chief secretary Somesh Kumar, CM Rao has mild symptoms and has been advised isolation. A team of doctors is monitoring his health. The CM is currently staying at his farmhouse. The chief secretary had also tested positive last week.
Meanwhile, disappointed with the affidavit filed by the state, a bench headed by Chief Justice Hima Kohli directed the state government to either impose night curfew or weekend lock down within two days to curb the spread of the virus otherwise it will pass orders. The Chief Justice asked whether the state intended to make the people “sitting ducks.” Dubbing the affidavit as “disappointing” the bench observed that while harping on checking international passengers it was silent on the measures to control those entering the state through bus and railway stations and private vehicles. In the last sitting the court had directed the state to make RT-PCR test reports mandatory for those entering its borders. This time the court wanted to know in particular if the state government had issued any circulars to check footfall in cinema halls and other public places witnessing large gatherings. “Do not then blame us for entering your territory” warned the Chief Justice.
The state today had 4,009 cases of new infections and 14 deaths. The Greater Hyderabad area reported 705 new cases. However, there have been complaints that the figures reflected in the state bulletin was far less than what was being reported in the district wise reports leading to accusations that the state government was actually fudging the numbers.
In the meantime the desperation of the common man for a hospital bed, oxygen and even the antiviral drug Remdesivir could be gauged when hundreds queued up before a Hetero Drug retail store at Moosapet where the drug was being sold at Rs 3,400 per vial. Since in the black market the price of the drug has soared to Rs 25,000- Rs 30,000 many helpless kin of critically ill Covid-19 patients queued up since early morning to buy the vials. Many of them came from the districts after the hospitals told them to procure the drug from the retail outlet. With only two policemen deployed to maintain the queue there was little social distancing as desperate people broke or jump the queue before stocks ran out.
Kerala night curfew
In the wake of huge surge in the number of Covid-19 cases,the Kerala government has decided to impose night curfew for two weeks from Tuesday onwards.The curfew will be imposed from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. No restriction will be imposed on public transport.