Telangana keeps up its fight with Covid-19

In a city afflicted by an epidemic, few places have been as hard hit in Old City and parts of Hyderabad. In the nearby Corona neighborhood, Swiggy Delivery executive Kiran 24, from Secunderabad was still burning with fever when his house owner demanded him to leave his rented room. Many in the city are jobless and they eat one meal a day. "We are so hungry, but I am more terrified that I will get sick," said Srinivasulu, 53 , a labourer who has diabetes and high blood pressure.

Fearing coronavirus, a 60- year- old- man allegedly jumped to death in Hyderabad. He was also suffering from health issues including asthma. Across Hyderabad there was a relatively encouraging sign as hospitalisations remained nearly flat for the first time since the lockdown began. Still, officials cautioned that it was too early to tell if the trend would hold.

Chief Minister of Telangana KCR also said the curve of infection seemed to be zero in his state initially, He said that social distancing measures would need to stay in place to keep up the early progress. In the month since the virus exploded in Hyderabad it has claimed rich and poor, the notable and anonymous city's stubborn inequities, tearing through working-class immigrant neighborhoods far more quickly than others.

Health officials have released data on the race or ethnicity of the people who are sick, and officials from the Department of City Planning cautioned against drawing broad conclusions based on district zones which is how the State has released limited information about positive cases.

Yet health care workers and opposition leaders say it is indisputable that the pandemic has disproportionately not affected the day labourers, restaurant workers and cleaners who make up the largest share of the population in an area often celebrated as one of the most employed cities in India.

The neighbourhoods also have large communities of Tamils Kannadigas , and north Indian people, and a score of other ethnicities that have been hit hard by the pandemic. The city-run Mahatma Gandhi Hospital zone was one of the earliest and hardest-hit by the virus. A handful of street vendors have returned, but now they sell vegetables and fruits in Rythu bazaars . With churches, temples and mosques closed, no one was even allowed to celebrate Telugu New Year Ugadi in the open spaces.

The Department of Health, officials said, created coronavirus fact sheets. Officials mounted multilingual public service campaigns in television, and have provided continuous updates to the ethnic media including on the need for social distancing.

The lockdown in the state will continue till May 29. Restrictions in containment zones will be in place. Lifting of containment will be considered in areas where no positive cases are reported. KCR said that very soon Telangana (Hyderabad) will become Corona virus free as there are no positive cases reported in 31 districts in the state. However, there is no question of relaxations being given for social gatherings or conducting functions like marriages etc for another five months. If this trend continues , Telangana will likely to be free of Covid-19 cases in few days. People from all the faiths shall perform their prayers only indoors.