Indore implements odd-even system during Covid-19 curfew relaxation

The odd-even rule and certain other measures are to be undertaken in Indore as the number of patients affected by coronavirus went up to 10 in the city with five more cases reported on Thursday.

Madhya Pradesh’s Indore district administration on Thursday decided to implement the odd-even system for vehicles in a bid to lessen the crowd on streets during Covid-19 curfew relaxation, the officials said.

The administration has decided not to allow the pillion rider on two-wheelers and more than two people on a four-wheeler.(Santosh Kumar/Hindustan Times)

Besides, the administration has decided not to allow the pillion rider on two-wheelers and more than two people on a four-wheeler.

Indore and six other towns and cities in the state are under curfew restrictions given the presence of coronavirus. No new town or city came under curfew restrictions on Thursday.

The odd-even rule and certain other measures are to be undertaken in Indore as the number of patients affected by coronavirus went up to 10 in the city with five more cases reported on Thursday.

With this, the number of Covid-19 patients went up to 20 in the state including a 65-year-old woman who belonged to Indore’s neighbouring district Ujjain and passed away on Wednesday, the government officials said.

The five patients from Indore whose swab test reports came on Thursday were affected by Covid-19 and included two women.

Akash Tripathi, Commissioner, Indore division said, “The odd-even system for vehicles on streets is being adopted to control the crowd. The decision will be enforced from March 28. Also, there will be restrictions on the number of people to be allowed on motorbikes and in cars. These are all to ensure social distancing which is a must to prevent the virus from spreading.”

He said, “Instructions have been issued to the authorities concerned to ensure that no one moves on the road without wearing a mask or covering his face with a cloth.

Lokesh Kumar Jatav, collector in Indore said, “The nine houses in Indore where Covid-19 positive cases have been found in will be treated as the epicentre of Covid-19. The area within the 3-kilometre radius of each of these houses has been declared as containment area. A survey of all the houses in the area will be conducted.”

The Covid-19 positive patients who are hospitalised and being treated in the state include 9 from Indore, 6 from Jabalpur, two from Bhopal and one each from Gwalior and Shivpuri.

In Bhopal, the state government moved chief medical and health officer (CMHO) Dr Sudhir Deharia from his post on Thursday evening. He was replaced with Dr Sudhir Jaisani.

Notably, Dr Deharia who is an orthopaedic surgeon in an official release issued on Wednesday claimed that a person should have no fear of being affected by coronavirus if he remained less than five to six hours with a coronavirus affected patient.