Nizamabad positive cases give Telangana the jitters

HYDERABAD: Not just Hyderabad city, authorities in Telangana are worried about the rising number of novel coronavirus patients from Nizamabad, which has so far reported 50 cases and has over 500 suspects.
With all the cases being related to the mid-March Tablighi Jamaat meet in Delhi, either directly or indirectly, the district has now 29 hotspots, also the second-highest number after Hyderabad. According to district authorities, 59 people went to Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi and 39 of them tested positive.Rest of the patients turned out to be the first contacts of these positive patients. “In one case, the virus hit five family members including his grandchildren,” said an official. Worried authorities have announced 19 containment zones in the district where the daily needs are given to the public by authorities.
68 samples tested, 380 quarantined in Nizamabad
So far, 500 suspects were tested for coronavirus. On Sunday another 68 samples were tested, but they turned negative, much to the relief of authorities. Another 380 people are under quarantine. Having a long border with Maharashtra is also another concern for the authorities and they have taken extra steps to seal the bordering areas. In some areas, people have objected to setting up quarantine centres near their localities.
District authorities on Sunday gave a circular saying that all grocery shops in the containment clusters and hotspots would have to shut down by 1 pm, but those in other areas could remain open till 6 pm. “The first contact cases have already been exposed and now we are careful about second contact cases since lockdown is being implemented strictly and extended.
There may be a few more cases,” an official said.