Telangana CM backs PM's call, asks people to light lamps on Sunday

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday urged people in the state to light lamps at 9 PM on April5 as sought by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to display collective spirit in the fight against the Coronavirus. People should light lamps to express solidarity and unity and make the event a success, a release from his office quoted him as saying.

Modi in a video message asked people to switch off the lights at their homes and light up lamps, candles or mobile phone torches for nine minutes at 9 pm on April 5 to display the country's "collective resolve" to defeat coronavirus.

Meanwhile, state Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan attended a video conference held by President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu with Governors of states and Lieutenant Governors and Administrators of union territories.

Kovind and Naidu discussed ways to contribute to the measures taken by the Centre and state governments in response to the outbreak of COVID-19, according to an official release. In a report, the Governor informed that Epidemic Disease Act has been invoked in the state since March 20. She said 26,586 people who have history of foreign travel and their contacts were placed in home quarantine.A total of 19,364 have completed the home quarantine till date. By April 7, all others would complete the home quarantine, part of the protocol to check the spread of Coronavirus