No respite from Covid scourge as Telangana reports 178 new cases, 6 deaths

Hyderabad: Telangana reported 178 new cases and six deaths in the last 24 hours pushing the overall cases tally to 3920 and deaths to 148.

Like every day, GHMC contributed the highest cases (143) among the fresh cases with Ranga Reddy and Medchal reporting 15 and 10 new cases respectively. In all, ten districts of the State witnessed new cases. The daily bulletin issued by the Health department showed 2030active cases. Barring a few who are in private hospitals and in home quarantine or institutional quarantine, a majority of them have to be in Gandhi hospital, the only Covid in-patient State hospital at present.

However, a press note issued by the goverment a day earlier stated that number of patients in Gandhi is just 247. Infections among frontline health staff continue to grow in TS with six more cases in NIMS including one nephrology resident doctor and five paramedical staff. Also, one professor from Chest Hospital reportedly tested positive. Until now 50 doctors and paramedic staff from OMC were found to be infected with virus.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Eatala Rajender stated in no uncertain terms that his department would not be conducting Covid tests on dead bodies as neither WHO nor ICMR had given directions in this regard.

Everyday more than 1000 people die across the state and it is not possible to conduct Covid tests on all of them, he said after launching 17 "Alana" vehicles that would do home palliative service in various districts.