Bhopal: Hours after the Madhya Pradesh state capital Bhopal reported 23 new cases of the novel coronavirus disease on Sunday, the city was put under total lockdown starting midnight.
The current tally of infections in the state stands at 61; including 18 health staffers and some people linked to the Jamaat congregation, the Health Department reported.
According to the administration, those who visited the Nizamuddin event came in contact with about 1,000 locals, 300 of whom have been identified and home quarantined. The search for the remaining 700 is on.
Many of those who attended the Jamaat reached Bhopal to stay in mosques.
The city also reported first death as a Naresh Khatik who was hospitalised three days ago and had tested positive for Covid-19 later on, succumbed to the illness on Sunday. He was a native of the Ibrahimganj area, and used to work as a guard for a trader at the Bittan Market area.
Principal Secretary Health Pallavi Jain Govil too tested positive for the respiratory disease.
As per guidelines, the state government has issued a list of second line officers for replacement in case their superiors fall sick, are are unable to discharge their duties. Several senior officers are also working from home.
Bhopal has now been divided into eight different zones for preventing the spread of Covid-19. Twenty three areas have been declared 'containment zones'.
Barring those engaged in emergency services, no one is allowed to step out of their houses and all transit passes have been suspended.
Except for milk parlours, chemist shops and petrol pumps, all other shops have been closed down and grocery and vegetables will be supplied at people's doorsteps by the municipal corporation and authorised online delivery chains.
Those found on the roads without any authorisation would be arrested, the district administration has said.
On Monday, several locals found roaming inside their colony campuses were offered stringent warnings and were asked to take a walk on the terrace instead.
Like other cities, Bhopal too witnessed bursting of firecrackers during the 9 minute lighting of diyas and candles on Sunday late evening.
DIG Bhopal Irshad Wali said that as positive cases had risen and lockdown breaches were reported on the pretext of grocery and vegetable purchases, the administration has decided to go for a total lockdown.
However, ADG Upendra Jain said that FIRs were yet to be lodged against those who had attended the Markaz congregation as that would confine them to Bhopal and the administration wanted them to leave after being cured, stated a report.
A sanitiser tunnel has also been placed outside the Chief Minister’s House in Bhopal which sprays disinfectants on visitors.
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