Telangana State has been first to get off block in race to combat deadly coronavirus in country, be it in announcing a complete lockdown, preparing hospitals to take on the anticipated influx of corona positive patients, creating facilities to house quarantine persons with symptoms or ensuring that essential commodities reach the people, among various other initiatives en route.
As the State prepares for an extended lockdown till April 30, making it a total of five weeks, a quick look at the measures in place already and decisions of the government on various fronts would help one in understanding ground realities, the preparedness for the worst and the way forward in the days and months to come. One has to understand and keep in mind that so much has happened in a matter of just a few days, the rapid-fire developments and the so-near-yet-so-far moments that made all equations and calculations go topsy-turvy, that it has given the situation a surreal touch.
Low fatality rate
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The relatively low numbers of corona positive cases in the State and lower percentage of fatalities coupled with the encouraging recovery rate among patients are clear indications that the State government is on the right path to tackle the situation. While this should not be seen as some chest-thumping expression of achievement, the fact is that Telangana has a fatality rate of about 3 per cent, compared to the national average of about 3.3 per cent and recovery rate of about 20 per cent, compared to about 9.3 per cent at the national level.
Having said that, as Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao put it across to the administration as well as the people of the State on Sunday, there is little room for complacency given the completely unpredictable path that the virus furrows. The Chief Minister rightly called for further increase in caution from the people and heightened vigil by the administration.