TS lockdown till March 31

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday announced a total lockdown of Telangana till March 31 to combat the Coronavirus (Covid-19) epidemic.

While addressing a press conference here after reviewing the situation in the state at a meeting in Pragati Bhavan, Mr Chandrashekar Rao said, “it is essential that we all take care and introduce preventive measures to ensure the virus does not spread further in Telangana. To achieve this objective, the state government has taken this decision under the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897, and a notification has been issued.”

He said that with suspension of all international flight, no one allowed to enter the country from sea route, threat of further import of Covid-19 infection had been minimised, but there was need to contain spread of virus from people who have already tested positive.

Mr Rao said, “essential services like milk and vegetables would be exempted for curfew but only one person from each family would be allowed to shop for these essentials.”

He announced that all shops and establishments, shopping malls, supermarkets and wine shops would remain closed till March 31. However, small kirana shops are allowed to operate. He said all public transportation, including auto rickshaws, taxis, private bus and Hyderabad metro rail services stand suspended till March 31.

All inter-state borders with neighbouring Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have also been closed till then.