Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Saturday cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) have been on the rise in the state and the cities of Indore and Bhopal are areas of concern for the government. “Corona cases are rising in the state. Hike in cases in Indore and Bhopal is a matter of concern,” Chouhan was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Chouhan had expressed similar concerns about Indore and Bhopal on Friday too, telling reporters during a press briefing that strict measures will have to be taken to flatten the curve. He also said both cities will most likely be put under strict night curfew from either Sunday or Monday. "Look at the rise in infection cases...Tough measures will be taken to flatten the curve. Night curfew might be clamped in Bhopal and Indore from Sunday or Monday," Chouhan said.
In early March, Indore accounted for 37 per cent of the total Covid-19 cases in the state. The city was a Covid-19 hotspot during the peak of the pandemic last year and accounted for nearly 50 per cent of all cases reported in Madhya Pradesh in May of 2020.
The chief minister also raised the issue of people coming in from Maharashtra, which is witnessing a high number of daily Covid-19 cases and said that arrivals from Maharashtra by air, road, and rail should be thermally scanned. He reiterated his point on Saturday by stating that “truck movement will continue from Maharashtra, but people will undergo temperature check.”
{{/usCountry}}The chief minister also raised the issue of people coming in from Maharashtra, which is witnessing a high number of daily Covid-19 cases and said that arrivals from Maharashtra by air, road, and rail should be thermally scanned. He reiterated his point on Saturday by stating that “truck movement will continue from Maharashtra, but people will undergo temperature check.”
{{/usCountry}}The administration has been asked to hold awareness programs on social distancing, mask usage, and other Covid-19 preventative norms in cities recording more than 10 cases a day. “Awareness programs are being carried out for cities reporting over 10 cases,” said the chief minister on Saturday.
Madhya Pradesh recorded 603 new cases of Covid-19 on Friday, taking the state-wide tally to 267,176. The cities of Bhopal and Indore reported the highest number of cases at 203 and 138 respectively.