In view of the fresh spurt of COVID-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh in past few days, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan conducted a review meeting on Friday afternoon, but decided against any kind of lockdown in the state, though COVID-19 related guidelines will be implemented strictly.
However, the government has decided that the schools and colleges in the state will not reopen as yet and industrial activities; transport and movement of workers will continue as before. Cinema halls will continue with 50 per cent capacity and the number of participants in occasions like marriages will be restricted as announced earlier.
All the district collectors have been asked to hold meetings of the crisis management groups as required and the CM will hold state level review meetings on alternate days, it was decided during the meeting.
There has been spurt in the cases during the past week and on Friday; the state reported 1,528 fresh cases, taking the total cases in state to 1,89,546 and the number of active cases to 10,402. Also, nine deaths were reported in 24 hours duration.
Capital Bhopal and commercial hub Indore are worst affected with 313 and 378 fresh cases in 24 hours respectively.
On Thursday, Indore and Bhopal had reported 255 and 231 cases respectively, while the state had reported 1363 fresh cases and 14 deaths in 24 hours.
Night curfew is back in five districts with high case loads. Commercial establishments and shops in Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Ratlam and Vidisha will remain closed from 10pm to 6am and movement of people will be allowed only in emergency situation, the government has decided.
Old videos of the chief minister announcing curfew in Bhopal and Jabalpur were re-circulated, sparking apprehensions among the citizens. The government issued clarification on the rumours, saying they were false.
Following the review meeting on Friday afternoon, the chief minister announced that there were no intentions of imposing a lockdown and the emphasis will be on following the preventive norms and guidelines. “COVID-19 has not gone yet. It can emerge as a big challenge with change in weather. So adhere to preventive measures and guidelines. Fine will be imposed on those violating the guidelines,” the chief minister tweeted following the meeting.
Chouhan said through tweets that people should be made more aware and NGOs should help in this work. Restricted number of people should participate in marriage ceremonies. “Remain aware and make others aware. No laxity till there is vaccine availability is the mantra we will work on,” the CM said.
He also called upon people to face the pandemic like before by maintaining physical distances and washing hands repeatedly.
Meanwhile in Indore, where fresh spurt was reported, the shopkeepers in the busy Chappan Dukan decided to self-regulate and close down the shops at 9pm. They also decided not to serve anyone who is without a mask and also offer them masks on the spot.
The district administrations in Bhopal and Indore decided to make the police checking for masks stricter on the day.
Earlier in the day, ex-chief minister Kamal Nath cautioned the state government on the situation and urged it to take immediate necessary steps. “The situation of COVID-19 pandemic is once again dangerous. The government should take all necessary steps for the health and safety of the people. Adequate arrangements for testing, hospital beds and treatment should be made. Steps should be taken to ensure COVID-19 guidelines and rules,” Kamal Nath tweeted.
Meanwhile, Amulya Nidhi of Jan Swasthya Abhiyan has attacked the government for its ‘strategy in spurts’. He said that rather than controlling and preventing the pandemic, the government is just managing it and this will not work. He said that for the past two to three months there was no review of the situation and the infrastructure like ICU beds, oxygen and others and laxity was given without any preventive arrangements.
“The government did not follow up on its own strategy of identification, isolation, testing and treatment. Testing numbers are stagnant, there are no efforts to actively identify new patients, institutional quarantine has been done away with and treatment facilities were not reviewed. If the situation has deteriorated, the responsibility lies on the government and not people,” Nidhi said.
