BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh, which had scrapped Covid centres, is now again facing an upsurge of corona cases. However, 669 fever clinics, which are easily accessible for people, are working in the state. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has warned that night curfew may be imposed in Indore and Bhopal if the situation does not improve there. Despite strict instructions on the implementation of Covid protocols, such as maintaining social distancing and putting on masks, corona cases are increasing in Madhya Pradesh. Even the corona-positive rate, which was earlier below 1 per cent, is 2.7 per cent at present.
Corona cases are increasing all over the state, especially in the two major cities of Indore and Bhopal. Monitoring has been enhanced in the border districts of Maharashtra , such as Burhanpur, Khandwa, Khargone, Betul, Chhindwara, Seoni and Balaghat, and instructions has been issued to allow into the state only those people who are corona-negative. The Shivratri Mela has also been cancelled. The fate of the other melas is still hanging in the balance as the strength has been reduced in view of the increasing number of corona cases. The doctors have suggested strict adherence to the Covid protocols even after both doses of the vaccine for protection as people seem have taken it for granted that corona has vanished along with the arrival of the vaccine; so, they have tossed off all protocols while visiting markets or joining any gathering.
As far as the state-level corona status is concerned, active cases show an upswing trend. On December 1, 2020, the corona-positive rate was 4.7 per cent with the total number of active cases at 14,435, against 28,760 samples being sent for testing, while, on January 1, 2021, the corona-positive rate was 2.7 per cent with the total number of active cases at 9,222, against 28,750 samples being sent for testing.
On February 1, 2021, the corona-positive rate was 1.0 per cent, with the total number of active cases at 2,554, against 15,017 samples being sent for testing and, on March 1, 2021, the corona-positive rate was 2.6 per cent, with the total number of active cases at 2,901, against 12,844 samples being sent for testing in the state.
