Bhopal: Complete 10-day lockdown to be imposed from July 25 amid rise in COVID cases

Amid the surge in COVID-19 cases in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra has announced a complete lockdown for 10 days from July 25 in the capital city. Only medical services, vegetable vendors, dairies and government ration shops will be allowed to remain open. Inter-district movement will also remain restricted during the 10-day complete lockdown. 

The Home Minister has appealed to all citizens to stock up needful items before the lockdown is enforced. He also announced that the next cabinet meeting on Tuesday will be held through a virtual conference. As of July 21, Bhopal has recorded 4,512 patients, including 142 who died. Since June 1, as many as 1,723 fresh cases have been witnessed in the Madhya Pradesh capital. 

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Earlier, it was announced that there would be a lockdown in some areas of Bhopal following the rise in COVID cases. The district administration also announced a ban on the weekly market in the villages under Berasia sub-division.

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Madhya Pradesh COVID tally 

Madhya Pradesh reported 704 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, which pushed its tally to 21,082, officials said. With the virus claiming nine more lives, the death toll in the state went up to 698, officials said. The highest number of 162 COVID-19 cases were recorded in Gwalior, followed by 129 in Indore, 128 in Bhopal and 23 in Jabalpur, among others. Meanwhile, 387 people were discharged from hospitals after recovery during the day, they said. In Indore, the district that has been worst-hit by the pandemic, the number of cases rose by 129 to 5,761 and death toll to 284 with four deaths, the state health bulletin said. In the last 16 days, Madhya Pradesh has registered 7,489 new cases and 126 deaths. The health officials said that there are 2,142 containment zones in the state at present.

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