COVID-19 cases in Madhya Pradesh breached the 2,000 mark on Saturday night, 37 days after its first set of cases popped up in Jabalpur. The State tally stands at 2,036 now, according to State Health Department.
The final nudge to the surge past the mark was given by Indore, the State’s hardest-hit city, where 91 new cases were reported. The city has reported 57 deaths owing to the illness and 107 recoveries so far, said Pravin Jadia, Indore Chief Medical and Health Officer.
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On Saturday, a record 441 samples were tested by the laboratory at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College in the city. Alarmingly, as many as 20% of those tested had turned out to be positive for the illness, a rate more than two times that of New Delhi on the day. The national capital, having more than twice as many cases than Indore, registered a test positive rate of just 6%.
Further, 31 of the new cases were recorded in 29 new areas of Indore, indicating the virus is bursting out, despite the claims of local authorities that the lockdown, meant to contain the spread, is in place.
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Akash Tripathi, Indore Divisional Commissioner, had told The Hindu that the pace of the spread to newer areas had instead reduced. He claimed the disease was spreading to just two-three new areas every day, as most of the recent cases had been primary contacts of the infected within previously affected areas.
182 containment areas
So far, 182 containment areas have been drawn up around affected areas in Indore. Authorities have reportedly prohibited vehicular traffic, and are screening locals at exit points.
Most deaths, almost 85%, owing to the illness in the State come from Indore, and its three neighbours, where the death toll is rapidly surging. The State has recorded 99 deaths and 281 recoveries so far.
