Detection of six cases of the UK variant of COVID-19 in Indore has caused a scare amid fresh spike in cases in Madhya Pradesh over the past fortnight. While reviewing the situation on Friday evening, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that if cases do not show a decline, night curfew will be imposed in Indore and Bhopal—the biggest contributors to fresh cases—from March 8.
According to the bulletin issued by the health department on Friday evening, the state reported 457 cases of COVID-19 in the previous 24 hours. Of these, as many as 176 cases were reported from Indore.
Officials have confirmed six cases of the UK variant from among those whose samples were collected between February 10 and 15. Sources said that none of these six patients have a foreign travel history, which makes the cases more worrying.
Meanwhile, capital Bhopal reported 77 cases while Jabalpur reported 21 cases. The total number of cases in the state has now gone up to 2, 63,747.
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Chouhan, while mentioning the six cases of UK variant that is more dangerous, added that on average, daily increase of 151 cases has been reported in Indore in the last one week. Similarly, on average, daily 78 cases have been reported in Bhopal, 16 in Jabalpur, 13 in Betul and 11 each in Chhindwara and Ujjain. The number of cases in Indore has doubled in the last 15 days. In view of this serious situation, strict precaution against the virus is a must in Indore and Bhopal, Chouhan said.
Chouhan has appealed to all shopkeepers to ensure social distancing and wearing of masks and to take other precautions. He warned that action will be taken against those shopkeepers who are caught without masks or sell goods to customers not wearing masks. Along with this, a Roko-Toko (stop-ask) campaign will be started in Bhopal and Indore with immediate effect.
Focus on borders with Maharashtra
Chouhan said that the numbers were increasing in districts adjoining Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Betul, Chhindwara and Ujjain and districts in neighbouring Maharashtra. It will be, therefore, mandatory for travellers coming from Maharashtra to carry COVID-19-negative reports. Bus operators will allow passengers to enter the buses only on the basis of the report. Adequate arrangements should be made for checking at the state’s border areas. He instructed that all districts along the Maharashtra border should be constantly monitored.
Chouhan also instructed the officers of Higher Education, Technical Education and School Education Department to ensure mandatory use of masks in all government and non-government educational institutions. For this, awareness campaigns should also be launched, he said.
Vaccination will be done at 5,595 centres till March-end
Currently, vaccination against COVID-19 is being done at 469 centres across the state. Vaccination will start at 1,808 centres from March 11 and by the end of this month, the vaccination facility will be expanded to 5,595 centres, officials said at the review meeting. So far, 3, 66,528 health care workers and 3,02,165 front-line workers have been given the first dose of vaccine. Also, first doses have been administered to 1,03,911 persons belonging to the 60-above priority age group.
