COVID-19: Infected cases cross 1,300 in MP; Indore now an epicentre

Bhopal: Indore continues to be the biggest hotspot for coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh as 50 more people tested positive on Friday night. The number of COVID-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh has climbed to 1,360, health officials said.

So far, 69 persons have died due to the infection in the state, the officials said on Saturday.

The number of coronavirus positive cases in Indore has gone up to 892. Of the 69 COVID-19 deaths in the state so far, as many as 47 people have died in this city alone, they said.

According to the officials, six persons each have died in Bhopal and Ujjain, five in Dewas, four in Khargone and one in Chhindwara.

The deadly virus has now expanded its footprint to 25 out of 52 districts of the state, they added.

The death toll in Madhya Pradesh on Friday was at 63, only behind Maharashtra where 194 deaths have been reported.

Till now, 99 patients in the state have recovered and returned home, the officials said.

As many as 408 containment zones have been created across the affected cities in the state to curb the spread of the virus.

The state had registered 470 coronavirus positive cases and 37 deaths on April 10. The number of COVID-19 patients on April 16 was 1,299 with 63 deaths, the health bulletin has said.

"The testing rate in Madhya Pradesh is very low. National average is around 170 tests per million, Madhya Pradesh a mere 130 tests per million. All laboratories in the state should be immediately utilised and testing should be increased," Amulya Nidhi and S R Azad of public health network Jan Swasthya Abhiyan have said.

The chief minister directed the officials to continue working on the strategy of 'identify, isolate, test and treat (IITT).' During the review, Indore officials informed that in Indore, 2,100 tests per million population was being conducted against the average 200 per million testing in the state. In all, 5,120 samples had been collected in Indore, of which 1,000 were sent to Delhi for testing.

(With inputs from The Week)

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