HYDERABAD: Telangana is likely to witness a spike in Covid-19 cases in the coming days as 10 migrant workers tested positive for the virus in just four days.
Of these 10 cases, majority of the patients came from Maharashtra. On Sunday alone, seven migrant workers who returned from Mumbai to their native places in Mancherial, Yadadri and Jangaon have tested positive.
Though there is an increase in such cases, people in cars, cabs and personal vehicles coming from other states are not being tested for Covid-19 at the interstate borders.
As per ICMR guidelines, the testing is being done only on those people who have any symptoms, and who are coming from a red or containment zones of other states.
Speaking to Express, a Hyderabad resident who returned from Bengaluru by car, said, “At the Karnataka-AP border, we were only checked for the transit pass.
"At the Telangana border, they checked our pass, took a couple of health details, stamped us with the ‘home quarantine’ before allowing us enter the State. They did not even specify how many days we are supposed to be under home quarantine. They also did not counsel us on whom to contact if and when we develop any symptoms.”
The check points at all State borders at present have police and medical personnel.
Wanaparthy SP Apoorva Rao informed Express, “The police are only checking transit records. Rest of the details are being collected by medical personnel and they would be sent to the health officials of the destination city/town of the migrants.”
“As per ICMR guidelines, we are still following the testing rule that say only symptomatic people with travel history from Covid-affected areas are supposed to be tested.
Along with that we are also testing people who have previous history of SARI, or are pregnant during their last term of gestation,” said Dr Kumar Swamy, nodal officer, Mancherial district.
“We are also advising people with co-morbidities and pregnant women who are close to their due dates to stay back in the district hospitals where they are being checked for symptoms before heading to their destinations,” the nodal officer added.