21 fresh coronavirus cases confirmed in T'gana; tally touches 1,082

As many as 21 fresh cases of COVID-19 were registered in Telangana on Sunday, taking the state's tally to 1,082. A total of 46 patients were discharged on Sunday after treatment, taking the total number of those discharged to 545.

Hyderabad: As many as 21 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Telangana on Sunday, taking the aggregate to 1,082, even as hundreds of migrant workers staged protests in various parts of the state demanding that the government make arrangements to send them home.

According to a health department bulletin, of the fresh cases, 20 were reported from Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits and another in Jagityal.

A total of 46 patients were discharged on Sunday after treatment, taking the total number of those discharged to 545, it said.

So far, 29 people have succumbed to the virus in the state, while the active cases stood at 508.

State Health Minister E Rajender said more than 50 per cent cases got cured and were discharged from hospitals.

Violating the lockdown protocol, around 500 migrant workers squatted on the road at Ramagundam in Pedapalli district demanding immediate arrangements to return to their homes.They also engaged in an argument with the police personnel, who allegedly resorted to mild lathicharge and chased them away.

Another protest was held in Nagarkurnool district, where workers from other states, who were employed at a cotton mill gathered in front of the unit with the same demand.

Police officials held talks with them and explained the procedures to be followed for inter-state travel, after which they dispersed.

More than 1,000 labourers took to the streets at Tolichowki area in the state capital, following rumours that the government would operate special trains to ferry them to their respective states.They also dispersed after authorities concerned reached the spot and assured them that arrangements would be made to send them home.

Earlier, expressing gratitude of the Defence forces to the coronavirus frontline 'warriors', an Indian Air Force helicopter showered flower petals over the state-run Gandhi Hospital and Military Hospital in Golconda here.

It was part of the nation-wide thanksgiving effort by the armed forces to honour doctors, paramedics, sanitation staff and other front-line workers battling coronavirus.

Army officials visited Gandhi Hospital, NIMS, Military Hospital Golconda, Secunderabad Cantonment Board and various police stations and expressed gratitude to the staff besides distributing hampers.

The event culminated with a grand display of Indian Air Force transport aircraft flying over Hussain Sagar lake to pay tribute to all the coronavirus 'warriors'.

However, the Congress in Telangana termed the flypasts and helicopters showering petals as "bizzare" and said armed forces need to be better utilised for COVID-19 containment than symbolism.

"Having flown several flypasts as an IAF MiG21/23 pilot, I find that flypasts & helicopters showering petals is frankly bizzare. We should certainly do our bit to honour & felicitate#CoronaWarriorsbut armed forces need to be better utilised for#Covid19containment than symbolism," tweeted TPCC President N Uttam Kumar Reddy, who served as a pilot in the IAF.

• Having flown several flypasts as an IAF MiG21/23 pilot, I find that flypasts& helicopters showering petals is frankly bizzare. We should certainly do our bit to honour& felicitate #CoronaWarriors but armed forces need to be better utilised for #Covid19 containment than symbolism. pic.twitter.com/UtpwtgVcl5

  — Uttam Kumar Reddy (@UttamTPCC) May 3, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Having flown several flypasts as an IAF MiG21/23 pilot, I find that flypasts& helicopters showering petals is frankly bizzare. We should certainly do our bit to honour& felicitate #CoronaWarriors but armed forces need to be better utilised for #Covid19 containment than symbolism. pic.twitter.com/UtpwtgVcl5

  — Uttam Kumar Reddy (@UttamTPCC) May 3, 2020

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  Having flown several flypasts as an IAF MiG21/23 pilot, I find that flypasts& helicopters showering petals is frankly bizzare. We should certainly do our bit to honour& felicitate #CoronaWarriors but armed forces need to be better utilised for #Covid19 containment than symbolism. pic.twitter.com/UtpwtgVcl5

  — Uttam Kumar Reddy (@UttamTPCC) May 3, 2020

Meanwhile, an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT),which was on a visit to the state to assess the COVID-19 situation, left for Delhi on Sunday by a special aircraft.

The IMCT had arrived in the city on April 24 and visited several places, including hospitals, containment zones, quarantine zones, 'Rythu' bazaars, 'Annapurna' mobile canteens from April 25 to May 2 and inspected the arrangements made to combat COVID-19.

The team expressed their satisfaction on measures taken to combat COVID-19 and implementation of lockdown measures in the city, an official release had said.

PTI