HYDERABAD: It looks as though the lockdown, about 10 days after its implementation, is having the desired effect in the State. The test positivity rate in Telangana has dropped to 5.2 per cent from 10 per cent recorded on May 1. The number of daily new infections is down by 70 per cent from 7,430 as of May 1 to 2,242 on May 23, against a total of 42,526 samples tested. The active caseload in the State has come down from 60,136 on May 11, before the lockdown, to 40,489 now. Fatality too is less now as, on May 11, 32 people died in Telangana while on May 23, 19 died. Healthcare personnel told Express that the caseload in hospitals had declined.
Although government hospitals in the city are still busy, the lower load on them is perceptible. This becomes apparent from the fact that the number of occupied beds have reduced. According to the government’s bed availability dashboard, there are a total of 20,996 oxygen-supported beds, of which 14,303 were occupied as of May 16 and 6,693 were vacant. On Sunday, 12,832 beds were occupied and 8,730 were vacant. Of a total of 11,429 ICU beds (ventilator supported), 8,351 were occupied and 3,078 were vacant as on May 16. Now, 7,647 beds are occupied and 4,036 are vacant. Last week, the government extended the lockdown in Telangana till May 30.
As only a four-hour relaxation time is permitted, the State is under lockdown for 20 hours at a stretch every day. According to the predictions of the Central government’s National Covid-19 Supermodel Committee, the number of daily new cases in Telangana are likely to further drop to 1,800 to 2,000 by the end of May. They are likely to come down to 200 a day by the end of June, as per the predictions.