Hyderabad lockdown news: Today's updates from your city

Amid prevalent chaos and uncertainty over access to the essential services and commodities during the lockdown, we bring you the latest updates from your city.*PTI update at 10.35pm: A 23-year-old coronavirus patient was arrested here on Wednesday for allegedly assaulting a doctor at the state-run Gandhi Hospital here on April 1 and produced before a local court through video conference. He was later remanded to judicial custody.*ANI update at 9.10pm: Andhra Pradesh: 23 new coronavirus positive cases (Kurnool 13, Guntur 4, Kadapa 3, Nellore 2, Anantapuram 1) & 3 deaths reported in the state, since 9am till 7pm today. Now total number of cases in state increased to 525, death toll 14.*Update at 8.20pm: AP records 23 fresh coronavirus cases as the tally increased to 525*PTI update at 7.45pm: The Telangana government will prepare a lockdown exit plan for the IT companies soon, Minister for IT and Industries KT Rama Rao said on Wednesday,as he outlined the strategy to contain the coronavirus spread in the state.*Update at 6.45pm: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams - the richest Hindu temple body in the country, will disburse Rs 13 crore to fund mass feeding of the poor and the needy across the 13 districts in the state of Andhra Pradesh. *Update at 6.30pm: ICMR validating the Truenat devices for screening of suspected cases helped the state to increase its testing capacity*Update at 6.20pm: Andhra Pradesh tested 2,359 coronavirus samples on Tuesday*Update at 6.10pm: Taking the shortage of medical kits in the hospitals, the Guntur Round Table (GRT-86) has gifted 25 litres of sanitiser exclusively to the junior doctors at the Government General Hospital (GGH), Guntur.*PTI update at 5.30pm: The Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday said it is fixing retail price of 10 essential commodities including rice, dals, edible oils and some vegetables in order to stop vendors from charging high rates misusing the current COVID-19 lockdown situation. The district committee is fixing prices of rice, four varieties of dals, three variants of edible oils and some vegetables. The rates are displayed across the state for the benefit of the consumers, the government said in a statement.*PTI update at 5.15pm: Construction firms and labour supervisors have been warned of legal action if they fail to counsel the migrant workers to stay back and take care of their stay, police have said. With the ongoing coronavirus lockdown extending till May 3, a large number of public, including migrant labourers from other states, have been found trying to return to their native places by walk, the police said.*Update at 5.00pm: Four more coronavirus positive patients discharged in Vizag today after they tested negative repeatedly. Total 12 patients are under treatment now.* The second-phase of ration distribution will start across Vijayawada from Thursday. The civil supplies department is making arrangements to supply ration door-to-door in selected zones in the city on an experimental basis.* Andhra Pradesh has now set a target to conduct tests on nearly 15 lakh people through various methods in the next one month.* Update at 1.39pm: Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) in Hyderabad has developed 'COVSACK - Covid Sample Collection Kiosk' - for taking samples from suspected infected patients."The kiosk is automatically disinfected, making the process free of infection spread. The shielding screen of the kiosk cabin protects the health care worker from the aerosols/droplet transmission while taking the sample. This reduces the requirements of PPE change by health care workers," said the ministry of Defence in a press release."After the patient leaves the Kiosk, four nozzle sprayers mounted in the kiosk cabin disinfect the empty chamber by spraying disinfectant mist for a period of 70 seconds. It is further flushed with water & UV light disinfection," the ministry added.* Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement on the extension of nationwide lockdown on Tuesday, airline operators were flooded with queries from passengers, who had booked flights between April 15 and May 3. While many, stranded in places away from their families, sought help to return home, others appealed for refunds and rescheduling of their travel plans.* Cybercrime sleuths of Hyderabad police commissionerate received seven complaints on Tuesday, taking the number of cases booked since lockdown to 160. On Tuesday, a fraudster posing as a wine shop representative siphoned off Rs 92,000 from a private firm employee’s bank account by promising to supply a bottle of brandy.* After TOI reported about a US citizen being too scared to leave her house because she was reportedly heckled at a hypermarket a day into lockdown, police reached her doorstep to assure her of her safety. They ensured she bought essentials from the very store where she was allegedly abused.* The D-Mart store at LB Nagar was sealed by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on Tuesday for unregulated customer access and violation of social distancing guideline that have been issued in view of the coronavirus outbreak in the country.* The declaration form process initiated by several hospitals across the country for non-Covid patients may be adopted in Telangana also.* Manzoor Akhtar, an Attapur-based construction engineer who hails from Jharkhand, has been helping migrant workers ever since the country came under lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak. What is even more heartening is that Akthar is using his personal savings for this noble cause and inspiring those around him to do the same.* Update at 11.43am: 2 more die of Covid-19 in Andhra Pradesh, toll climbs of 11; total cases 502* Update at 10.02am: Shops of farm machinery, its spare parts, supply chain, repairs, 'Custom Hiring Centres' related to machinery to remain open from Apr 20: MHA* Update at 10.00am: Death toll due to Covid-19 touches 377; number of cases rise to 11,439: Health Ministry* Update at 9.55am: From April 20 activities permitted include agricultural, horticultural, farming, procurement of agri products, 'mandis': MHA guidelines. (PTI)* Update at 9.54am: All social, political, sports, religious functions, religious places, places of worship shall be closed for public till May 3: MHA on lockdown* Update at 9.51am: Educational institutions, coaching centres, domestic, international air travel, train services to remain suspended till May 3: MHA guidelines* Update at 9.49am: Cinema halls, malls, shopping complexes, gymnasiums, sports complexes, swimming pools, bars to remain closed till May 3: MHA guidelines* Update at 9.43am: Inter-state, inter-district movement of people, metro, bus services continue to be prohibited till May 3: MHA guidelines on lockdown. (PTI)Update at 9.42am: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issues consolidated revised guidelines on the measures to be taken by Ministries/Departments of Govt of India, State/UT governments & State/UT authorities for the containment of #COVID19 in India. (ANI)* Update at 9.34am: Death toll due to Covid-19 in India touches 377; number of cases rise to 11,439, reports PTI quoting health ministry.* One more person died in Telangana as the Covid-19 surge continued with 52 new positive cases reported on Tuesday, taking the overall tally to 644.* A 65-year-old woman from the Old City, who was declared Covid-19 positive after she died on April 11, has infected nothing less than 17 members of her family with the virus. This is the highest number of positive cases detected in one family in Telangana so far. * Telangana is mulling to ease lockdown restrictions in a phased manner post April 20, starting with relaxing norms in districts logging zero Covid-19 positive cases.* In a tragedy that is unfolding across the country, a large number of migrant labourers, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced extension of the lockdown, hit the roads of Hyderabad on Tuesday as they attempted to walk back to their homes in Andhra Pradesh. Some had decided to make the 800 km journey, to their home in Srikakulam, on foot.* A tahsildar and a doctor figured among 44 new Covid-19 patients in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, even as two more people were declared dead from the deadly virus. While the death toll from Covid-19 rose to eight, the positive tally stood at 483.