Madhya Pradesh recorded its first COVID-19 death on Wednesday as a 65-year-old woman from Ujjain who had tested positive in the morning died later while undergoing treatment in Indore, the country's cleanest city.
“The woman was admitted to the M.Y. Hospital. The condition of rest of the patients is stable,” Akash Tripathi, Indore Divisional Commissioner, told The Hindu.
In the morning, four residents of Indore and the woman had tested positive, taking the count in the State to 14 cases in five days. The Indore patients are aged 66, 68, 50 and 49.
Lokesh Jatav, Indore Collector, said, “We are doing their contact tracing now, after which further steps will be taken.”
As for prohibitory orders in the city, Mr. Jatav said the police had been directed to act against those on the roads, barring ones catering to essential services.
“We have filed cases and cancelled driver’s licences too, and will take stricter action if people still don’t comply,” he added.
Journalist tests positive
Meanwhile, panic gripped government officials and journalists in Bhopal on Wednesday, as a senior journalist, who had attended a press conference of former Chief Minister Kamal Nath and visited the Vidhan Sabha and the Raj Bhavan, tested positive for COVID-19.
The journalist is the father of the city’s first case — a woman who tested positive on March 22 after returning from London. He is the 15th positive case in the State.
As the news of the test result trickled in, several government Public Relations Department officials and journalists went into quarantine.
Free ration
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced that all families below the poverty line would be provided a month’s ration free in view of the lockdown.
Addressing the State on TV, he said ₹1,000 would be provided to labourers as support through the State Building and Other Construction Workers' Welfare Board.
As for tribal, Mr. Chouhan announced a support amount of ₹2,000 for two months to each Saharia, Baiga and Bharia family.
Moreover, old age and social security pensioners would receive an advance amount of ₹1,200 for two months.
