Covid in Madhya Pradesh: Sunday lockdown extended to four districts

Alarmed over rising coronavirus cases, the Madhya Pradesh government on Wednesday decided to impose Sunday lockdown in the districts of Betul, Chhindwara, Ratlam and Khargone, an official said.

Sunday lockdown is already in force in Indore, Bhopal and Jabalpur.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced this while briefing his ministerial colleagues on the coronavirus situation after the cabinet meeting, said the official.

The lockdown will begin at 10 PM on Saturday and end on 6 AM on Monday.

In the cities where more than 20 cases are being reported daily, and in the districts where the average new cases per week are more than 20, only 50 persons can attend a marriage ceremony and only 20 people can take part in the last rites.

Besides swimming pools, gyms and cinema halls too will remain closed in such districts, the official said.

Only take-away service will be allowed at restaurants in such districts. Public halls will be allowed to function with 50 per cent capacity.

So far 26,90,646 persons have been administered vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 in the state.

Efforts are being made to administer vaccine jabs to three lakh persons per day and in the next three months all targeted groups will be vaccinated, said the official.