Having reported as many as 56,678 COVID-19 cases in the past three weeks, a major surge, about a dozen worst-affected districts in Chhattisgarh have decided to go for fresh lockdowns for durations ranging from a week to ten days. The state reported 413 deaths in this duration.
As of Monday night, the total number of cases in the small tribal state with a population of merely 3.22 crores stood at 88,181 while the death toll was at 690. Thus during the past three weeks, the state has reported more than 64 per cent of all the cases and around 60 per cent of all the deaths till now.
The biggest load of COVID-19 cases comes from capital Raipur that has reported 28,190 cases and 325 deaths up to now. In the past three weeks, the capital reported 16,856 cases and 231 deaths.
Looking at the serious condition, the administrations of about a dozen districts out of 29 across the state have decided to impose lockdowns during the last few days of September.
Raipur was locked down totally on Monday night for a week till September 28. During the week, there will be no commercial activity in the state and all public places and offices will remain closed. No movement of people will be allowed.
The Raipur district administration has said that only milk and medicine outlets and petrol pumps will remain open but common people will not be sold fuel. Only personnel engaged in emergency services and inter-state vehicles will be given the fuel.
Even grocery and vegetable shops will remain closed in the district that has been declared a containment zone by district collector S. Bharti Dasan.
Also the district limits have been sealed and no vehicular or other movement will be allowed to and from Raipur.
The district of Durg, which has the second-highest number of cases at 8,593, will be under complete lockdown from September 24 to 30. The district has till now reported 67 deaths.
Several public representatives in the state have also tested positive over the past three weeks including about half-dozen MLAs. Former chief minister Raman Singh tested positive on September 19 and went into self-quarantine. He urged all those who came into contact with him to get tested and remain in isolation too. Earlier this month, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel went into self-isolation for four days after his officer on special duty (OSD) and personal security officer (PSO) tested positive for COVID-19.
