The Telangana Health Ministry on Friday (March 12) decided to increase the number of COVID-19 tests to 50,000 samples per day from the earlier 22,000.
The decision to increase the tests comes in the wake of rising cases of the infection in the neighbouring Karnataka and Maharashtra.
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Health minister Eatala Rajender appealed to the people to avoid travel unless essential.
The minister reviewed the situation through a teleconference with department officials and authorities of state-run hospitals on Friday. The officials present were also advised to pay special attention to people coming from Karnataka and Maharashtra for employment, functions and other works.
The department decided to strictly follow the testing and tracing norms.
The total number of samples tested so far is 91.14 lakh.
Medical and health officials in Nizamabad, Kamareddy, Nirmal, Adilabad, Asidabad, Manchiryal, Jagityal and Bhupalpally districts bordering Maharashtra have been advised to be on a high alert.
The minister said the Centre’s vaccination programme would be conducted on a simultaneous basis. The government is expecting more supplies of the vaccines to cover the people of all age groups.
Rajender also held a meeting with superintendents of all government hospitals in Hyderabad and advised them to keep beds and wards ready in case of a surge in cases.
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According to the health department, 181 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Thursday, while one person succumbed to the infection.
As of now, the state has 1,872 active cases after 163 were discharged from hospitals upon recovery.