Indore: Officials in Indore are tightening preventive measures as the number of coronavirus patients in the Madhya Pradesh city crossed 15 with five fresh cases reported late Thursday night.
Besides the 21-day lockdown in force across the country to prevent the spread of the virus, the district collector also issued orders for introducing the odd-even scheme in the city to curb movement on the streets during the ‘relaxation period’ for buying essentials between 8 am to 1 pm.
Starting from March 28, the vehicles with odd numbers will be allowed on the streets and vice versa for even number plates. There would be a lockdown for vehicles every third day said a statement issued by Indore Collector Lokesh Jatav.
However, vehicles of employees involved in delivering essential services and officers will be exempted from the odd-even formula.
Apart from the sharp rise in infections, city health officials reported two deaths due to the virus – 65-year-old Rabiya Bee (65), a native of Ujjain and Abdul Hameed, from Indore who was also 65. The suspected virus-related death of a patient, 47-year-old Atul Bhargav tested negative for the illness on Thursday. All patients who have tested positive in the city are said to be in stable conditions according to officials.
Apart from the restrictions on vehicular movement, nine homes belonging to those who tested positive for the virus has been designated as ‘buffer zones’. Nearby residents including 8,000 people within three kms of the identified houses have been put under home quarantined for 14 days and areal restrictions have been imposed. Three km area of these houses has been declared contentment zone while five km area is notified as a buffer zone, a government order said.
Meanwhile, all 69 persons who came in close contact with infected patients have been kept under observation and are regularly screened.
Screening facilities have been set up at the exit spots of these areas and health teams were ordered to visit 50 houses each in these areas.
On Thursday, as many as 270 locals were screened for cough and cold symptoms and 22 have exhibited COVID-19 symptoms. Eleven of the symptomatic patients were been home quarantined.
The five fresh cases of the virus infection include a relative of the elderly woman who had died due to coronavirus. Others that tested positive are locals with no travel history.
The police have booked local leader Azad Nagar Sheikh Aleem for distributing food among the poor while ignoring safety guidelines. Aleem later told reporters that he had ensured safety measures and stopped distribution once the crowd had gone out of control.
To ensure safety precautions and following guidelines shopkeepers have drawn circles outside their outlets to make sure people maintain social distancing.
Madhya Pradesh has recorded 26 total number of positive cases.
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