SURGE continues: Indore reports 512 C-positive cases

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Wednesday offered no relief from spiraling Corona cases. In fact, new cases crossed 500-mark during the day as tally of new corona cases was recorded at 512 as 9,413 samples were put to test.

On Tuesday, the city had reported 319 corona cases. Corona positivity rate shot up to 5.44% as cityís corona tally reached 1,54,949. Toll remained at 1,397 as no new death was reported.

Number of active cases also increased to 1,270 as only 62 patients were discharged on Wednesday. Total 1,52,282 patients have been discharged so far.

Alarmed at sudden spurt, the state government swung into action. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired a meeting which decided to reimpose restrictions to check the spread.

The state government decided to cap presence of people in marriages to 250 and 50 in funeral procession and Uthawana.

Under the new restrictions no big fair would be allowed in the state, while night curfew and 50% presence of students in schools will continue to remain in force.

"There is a need to be careful now to prevent the Covid-19 infection. In such a situation big fairs should not be organised. Marriage functions should be organised with a maximum attendance of 250 people. Schools should be run with 50 per cent strength as earlier," Chouhan said in a statement after holding the meeting.

Chouhan directed officials to conduct at least 60,000 Covid-19 tests every day in MP, monitor patients who are in home isolation and fine people found without masks at public places.

There will be no other restrictions in Madhya Pradesh but the decision to limit the attendance in various functions has been taken," the chief minister said.

The state government had last year lifted the restrictions on the number of guests at weddings and mourners at funerals, as the cases declined.

"We also need to be careful and focus on precautionary measures as the highest number of cases in the country is being reported from neighbouring Maharashtra," the chief minister said on Wednesday.

He also directed officials to make arrangements for isolation of patients in care centres besides putting in place other medical facilities. More than one lakh beds should be arranged in such centres across MP, he said.