Hyderabad: With COVID-19 cases increasing rampantly in Telangana and the state recording an average of 900 fresh cases per day, several major associations have announced voluntarily closing their markets in Hyderabad from Friday.
The big wholesale and retail markets like Begum Bazar, Siddiamber Bazar, Charminar, Patthargatti and Madina were completely deserted on Friday as the traders downed their shutter in view of the rapidly spreading virus infections in the city.
Similarly several mosques were also closed fearing worshippers may get infected. The mosques along with other religious places were reopened on June 8.
The traders who have decided to close down their business for a week include those who deal in groceries, textile, sanitary items, jewelry and other items. The famous bangles market Laad Bazar under the shadows of Charminar was also shut down on Friday.
“We have taken a voluntary decision to close the shops for a week in view of the present situation. We have decided to prefer safety of the people over business”, said Lakshminarayana Rathi, president of Begum Bazar Kirana Merchant Association.
Patthargatti Traders Association president Abid Mohinuddin said that market was partially opened when lockdown was lifted earlier this month. “But once again all the shops have decided to keep business closed”.
Though the state government has not said anything about re-imposing lockdown, traders bodies took a voluntary decision as the situation was threatening to spiral out of control.
Hyderabad Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi hailed the decision of the traders. Pointing out the cases in the state capital had gone up to 5,883, the MP urged the people not to visit any crowded place and maintain social distance.
With 920 fresh cases of Corona in Telangana on Thursday, the tally in the state has gone up to 11,364 and the toll has mounted to 230. With this Telangana now has the tenth highest total cases among all the states, despite second lowest test per million.
K Chandrasekhar Rao government was coming under sharp criticism from experts for testing very few people compared to other states.
The state was testing only 1,802 people per million, far less than other states. According to Prof Shamika Ravi, senior fellow, Brookings Institute, active cases in Telangana were doubling every five days which was highest in the country.
Meanwhile in an indication of the burden on the limited testing capacity in Telangana, the state government has stopped collecting samples as part of its special drive to conduct 50,000 tests.
As there was no facility to store a large number of samples, the government has stopped taking new samples creating anxiety and worries among the people.
Such was the spread of virus in the city that no section was spared. More than 300 policemen were among cases tested positive. The health care sector was also worst affected as 76 members of staff of Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences were infected on Thursday alone.
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