Covid-19 growth rate has gone up due to cases from border districts: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Home minister Narottam Mishra said Madhya Pradesh would see complete lockdown on Sundays.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Wednesday that the Covid-19 growth rate in the state had increased in the last one week with more and more positive cases especially from border districts.

In districts like Barwani, Morena and other bordering districts the viral infection was on the rise due to the spread of the disease in other states across the border. (ANI PHOTO.)

Even as the CM mentioned the increased growth rate of Covid-19, home minister Narottam Mishra said the state would see a complete lockdown on Sundays. However, detailed guidelines would be issued by the CM on Thursday; he told the media in Bhopal on Wednesday evening.

According to the state government’s official release, while reviewing the Covid-19 situation in the state Chouhan said, “Earlier, the Covid-19 growth rate in the state was 1.72% which increased to 2.01%. Wearing of masks and physical distancing must be strictly ensured in all districts. A public advisory should be issued in all border districts. Necessary restrictions should be imposed once a week in all districts.”

As per the release, in districts like Barwani, Morena and other bordering districts the viral infection was on the rise due to the spread of the disease in other states across the border. “In this connection, the chief minister directed chief secretary Iqbal Singh Bains and director general of police (DGP) Vivek Johri to prepare a mechanism in this regard and issue a public advisory,” the release read.

In the meeting additional chief secretary (ACS), health department Mohd Suleman informed the CM that the 15-day ‘Kill Corona Campaign’ launched from July 1 had given good results so far in the state. Earlier, the testing capacity in the state was 6,000 tests per day, which touched 12,104 due to the campaign.

“Samples taken under the Kill Corona Campaign have a positivity rate of 2.2%, which is a good sign,” he said.

The senior IAS officer said, “The situation in Indore is constantly improving as the positivity rate of the disease has steadily decreased. Earlier this rate was up to 11%, which has now come down to 2.12%. There are currently 875 active cases in Indore and 3,871 patients have recovered and returned home. The death rate in Indore has reduced to less than 1%.”