COVID-19: Madhya Pradesh's tally soars to 562 as state grapples without a Health Minister

Witnessing a rapid rise in Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Madhya Pradesh, the state health department informed on Sunday that the state has witnessed 562 cases till date, with a death toll of 41. The main areas which have seen the highest number of cases are Indore(281) and Bhopal (131). While CM Shivraj Chouhan, who came into power on March 23, has not extended the lockdown, he has said that the state would be willing to do so, under the guidance of the Centre.

COVID-19: India sees 909 new cases & 34 deaths in 24 hrs; Centre says '20% cases critical'

MP sees rise in cases to 562

Kamal Nath slams COVID-19 situation in MP, claims Centre to blame for 'toppling his govt'

Kamal Nath slams Chouhan on COVID-19

Earlier in the day, former CM Kamal Nath slammed Chouhan for mishandling the novel coronavirus crisis. Highlighting that MP was the only state which did not have either a Health Minister or a Home Minister, he alleged that the Centre delayed taking steps to tackle COVID-19 as it was busy in toppling his government in the state. Arguing that the situation in the state was very grave, he contended that COVID-19 testing was taking place only in some urban areas while the rural areas were being ignored. 

Madhya Pradesh seals 15 districts with 46 hotspots as 411 COVID-19 cases rise; 33 dead

15 districts sealed, ESMA evoked

On April 9, Chouhan ordered sealing 15 districts in the state where 46 hotspots have been identified. The list of sealed districts includes Jabalpur, Gwalior, Khargone etc - in addition to the three major cities Bhopal, Ujjain, and Indore - which have already been sealed. On Wednesday, the state government also invoked the Essential Services Management Act (ESMA) in the state with immediate effect to combat COVID-19 to ensure essential supplies and services are operational during this crisis.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Five states extend lockdown till April 30; total cases at 8447

32 state officials test positive

In an alarming development, on Monday, 32 health officials tested positive in the office building of  Madhya Pradesh Directorate of Health Services in Bhopal. While the source of the COVID-19 outbreak is unknown, reports state that Principal Secretary of the State Public Health and Family Welfare Department, Deputy Directors, Additional Directors, and other officers have tested positive. In total, 44 people had tested positive in Bhopal of which 29 are state health officials of the Shivraj Chouhan government. The state Human rights commission has written to the state secretary for the lapse in protocol.