Four more COVID-19 deaths in Telangana; 117 fresh cases, tally now 2256

Four more people succumbed to the coronavirus in Telangana pushing the death toll to 67, while 117 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported on Thursday taking the tally to 2,256, authorities said. According to a bulletin issued by the state government, the new cases included 49 Saudi Arabia deportees and two migrant workers.

It said 348 people, including deportees, migrants and foreign returnees, have been cumulatively found positive for COVID-19. The bulletin also said 1,345 people have been discharged from hospitals.

The number of people under treatment stood at 844. Talking about deportees, the bulletin said the Centre has airlifted 458 deportees from Saudi Arabia and they have been quarantined in government quarantine in the state.

State Health Minister E Rajender, who held a meeting with doctors and other officials, urged them to work with the aim of reducing deaths in the state-run Gandhi hospital where the positive patients are treated, an official release said.

He observed that only those who are suffering from chronic diseases are losing their life (after testing positive for COVID-19) and not just because of the virus, it said.

In a separate interaction with medical and health officials, Rajender emphasised on medical surveillance for early identification of people with symptoms.

The Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) should check for fever symptoms by visiting the houses allotted to them in the villages everyday, he said.