Telangana has enforced a 10-day lockdown from tomorrow amid a surge in coronavirus cases. The relaxation period for all activities is only between 6 am-10 am. “The State Cabinet has decided to impose lockdown for 10 days starting 10 am tomorrow. The lockdown will be relaxed from 6 am to 10 am daily for all the activities. The Council of Ministers has also decided to invite global tenders for procuring the Covid-19 vaccine,” read a tweet from the Chief Minister’s Office.

Last Friday, videos emerged on social media showing a huge gathering in Hyderabad for prayers on the last Friday of the Ramzan month for Muslims amid the deadly second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Just hours later, the Telangana government banned large gatherings to minimize Covid risks.

From tomorrow, apart from Andhra – where there is a partial curfew – all other southern states would be in lockdown. There is a lockdown in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka till May 24. In Kerala, the shutdown period is till May 16. Most states have taken to lockdown as a measure to stem the spread of infections. India is battered by a deadly second wave of coronavirus that has overwhelmed its hospitals and there is a dire shortage of medical oxygen and critical drugs needed to treat Covid patients. Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had advised states to use lockdowns as an absolute last resort and focus on micro-containment zones and Covid-appropriate behaviour to break the chain of transmission.