HYDERABAD: A fake Government Order, stating that lockdown will be imposed in the State till April 30 to prevent the spread of Covid-19 sent shockwaves among citizens on Thursday night. When this was brought to the notice of Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, he said that the GO was a fake one and no lockdown is being imposed in the State. He told Express that there was no need for lockdown in the State.

Later, the Chief Secretary issued a statement, stating: “It has come to the notice of government that an unsigned document claiming to be a GO issued on 1st April 2021 providing for closure of shops and commercial establishments etc. is circulating on social media. It is hereby clarified that the above said document is fake. No such order has been issued by government of Telangana. It is also clarified that there is no consideration for any lockdown.”

It is widely believed that as Thursday was April Fools’ Day, the fake GO might be the handiwork of some mischievous persons. Netizens, however, took to Twitter and expressed their ire over some vernacular news channels for flashing the news without checking the facts.Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Family Welfare categorised four districts, including Hyderabad, high-risk districts, the other districts being Rangareddy, Medchal and Nizamabad.

While Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Medchal have been categorised as high-risk districts due to the increasing number of Covid-19 cases and high population density, Nizamabad has been placed in the same category because of the long border it shares with Maharashtra.

“The three districts of Hyderabad, Rangreddy and Medchal comprise one-third of Telangana’s population, which makes them high-concern districts. In Nizamabad, we have noticed a rapid spread of infection as it shares the border with Maharashtra and there is a frequent movement of people across the border,” said Director of Public Health Dr G Srinivas Rao.

The Health Department has also noted that there have been spike in the number of Covid-19 cases in other districts too, mainly due to localised outbreaks, with at least eight to 10 outbreaks being reported every day across the State.

Four high-risk Covid districts identified

The Department of Health and Family Welfare categorised four districts, including Hyderabad, high-risk districts, the other districts being Rangareddy, Medchal and Nizamabad.