Telangana extends COVID-19 lockdown till 29 May, opens liquor shops with 16% hike

New Delhi: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Tuesday (May 5) decided to extend COVID-19 lockdown in the state till 29 May, after witnessing a spurt in coronavirus cases.

Telangana government also decided to re-open all liquor shops except those in containment zones with 16 per cent hike in liquor prices from Wednesday. The decision was taken by the state cabinet at its meeting chaired by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao.

The Chief Minister reportedly said that his government would not tolerate the chaotic situation witnessed in Delhi, Bengaluru and other cities. The shops can remain open from 10 am to 6 pm and sell liquor only to those wearing masks.

KCR said the government had to take a decision to re-open liquor shops as all four states which share borders with Telangana have re-opened them. “If we don`t open shops here, it will lead to smuggling from neighbouring states,” he said.

Meanwhile, the state government today released Rs 12 lakh for the testing and the treatment of journalists, who have tested positive for the coronavirus in Delhi.

Three journalists from Telangana based in New Delhi have tested positive for Covid-19. The Telangana government on Tuesday said it had released Rs 12 lakh for testing and treatment of the three, working for a Telugu television channel.

“The Government of Telangana has taken all steps for the containment of the spread of the coronavirus. The government has released Rs 12 lakh to take care of testing and treatment of journalists,” said an official statement.

Initially, the state government had remitted Rs 75,000 in cash for primary contact testing and had assured of assistance for the treatment of positive cases among Telugu media personnel. Further, the state government has released a budget to the Resident Commissioner, Telangana Bhavan, for the treatment of three positive cases, who are under treatment and the testing of their contacts.