India / 10-day total lockdown in Bhopal from July 24: MP govt

BHOPAL: A 10-day total lockdown will be clamped in the Madhya Pradesh capital starting from July 24 evening in the wake of an alarming rise in COVID-19 cases in the district.

Home minister Narottam Mishra said the total lockdown will start from 8 pm on July 24 and continue till August 4 morning in Bhopal. The decision was taken in a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

“Only milk supply/parlours, medicine shops, vegetable vendors, and government ration shops will be allowed to open along with the industry and government offices,” said Mishra.

Entry and exit to and fro from Bhopal will be prohibited during the lockdown. However, those issued e-passes will be allowed to travel to and fro from the state capital.

The home minister further said, “All residents of Bhopal are requested to make necessary purchases over the next two days and all the government ration shops have been asked to distribute ration to all the poor,” Mishra said.

Bhopal has reported an alarming rise in COVID-19 cases with over 1,000 cases being reported over the last 9 days.

According to the state health bulletin, the state capital reported 157 new cases over the last 24 hours, which was the maximum in the state. Indore with 114 new cases reported second maximum cases.

The state during the same period reported 747 cases, 14 deaths, and 579 recoveries.

So far, the central Indian state has reported 24,842 cases and 770 deaths. As many as 16,836 patients have recovered from the viral infection, while 7236 active patients are still hospitalized.