Madhya Pradesh to ease coronavirus 'curfew' from June: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Bhopal, May 22: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday announced that the coronavirus-induced restrictions in the state would be gradually relaxed from the next month.

"Our target is to free our state of COVID-19 by May 31. We will have to unlock the coronavirus-induced-curfew gradually from June 1. The world has to move but we will need to unlock in such a manner that COVID-19 doesn't spread again," he said at a meeting to review the coronavirus situation.

Lockdown-like restrictions to contain the spread of coronavirus infection -- termed as curfew' by the state government -- are in force in many cities and towns of MP. In most of the districts including Bhopal they have been extended till May 31.

Several localities in major cities would already be free of COVID-19 infection, Chouhan said in the meeting, a video of which was tweeted by his official Twitter handle.

"Identify the spots where coronavirus infection is still present and make micro-containment zones. Infected persons should either be isolated at home or shifted to COVID Care Centres," the chief minister said.

The ongoing restrictions should be strictly implemented to break the chain of infection, Chouhan added. The positivity rate of COVID-19 -- the proportion of infections found among those tested -- has come down to 4.82 per cent as of Saturday, he noted.

At the peak of the second wave in the state, the positivity rate had crossed 20 per cent. In 79,737 tests conducted in the state on Saturday, 3,844 persons tested positive, while 9,327 patients were also given discharge during the day, the chief minister informed.

The recovery rate in the state has gone up to 90.86 percent, Chouhan added. The third phase of Kill-Corona' campaign in the state will be completed on May 24 and the fourth phase should be started after that, he instructed.

Medical kits should be provided to every suspected COVID-19 patient with symptoms such as cold and cough, he said. On Friday, the state had reported 4,384 new coronavirus cases and 79 deaths, taking the caseload to 7,57,119, and death toll to 7,394.