Telangana govt blames Centre, reports highest single-day spike of 872 COVID-19 cases

Hyderabad: On a day health minister Etala Rajendar practically mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government at the Centre for its Covid-19 management, Telangana state on Monday reported its highest-ever single day tally of 872 cases, as well as seven more deaths.

Monday’s figures took the total cases to 8,674 and the toll to 217, according to the health department bulletin. As many as 713 cases were from Greater Hyderabad. The number of cases has zoomed by 3,000 in just nine days, from 4,974 cases on June 14 to 6,027 on June 18, 7,072 on Saturday to 8,674 cases on Monday.

The number of discharged patients rose to 4005 with 274 patients sent home. The testing capacity is to be hiked from 2,290 now to 4,310 in a week.

Elsewhere, chairing a review meeting with senior health officials on Covid-19 management, Rajendar said the Centre instead of helping Telangana state in fighting Covid-19 had restricted itself asking people to clap and light lamps. After this, it dusted its hands off the issue.

He said the Centre had diverted a crucial sample-testing machine, Cobos 8800, which could have tested 3,5000-4,000 samples a day, that Telangana state had ordered from Germany, to Bengal.

On the other hand, BJP leaders were staging protests making irresponsible demands in a shameless manner, Rajendar said, adding that the Centre had only released `214 crore to the state to combat Covid-19.

It was decided that the TIMS at Gachibowli will start functioning in a week. Testing for Covid-19 will be extended at primary health care (PHC) centres. Only those showing Covid-19 symptoms and their primary contacts are eligible to take the tests.