Nine districts in MP become coronavirus-free: Official

(Eds: With additions)

Bhopal, May 16 () Nine districts in Madhya Pradesh,which had earlier reported COVID-19 cases, have now becomecoronavirus-free, a state government official has said.

During a meeting held on Friday to review the COVID-19situation in the state, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS),Health, Mohammed Suleman, said that the nine districts-Barwani, Agar-Malwa, Shajapur, Sheopur, Alirajpur, Harda,Shahdol, Tikamgarh and Betul- have become coronavirus-free.

Besides, no COVID-19 case has been reported in eightdistricts of the state so far, he said.

Testing has been increased in the state, he said,adding that at least 5,822 swab samples were collected onFriday alone and so far, 93,849 samples have been tested.

Of the 4,595 coronavirus positive cases reported inthe state till Friday, 45 per cent were active ones, Sulemansaid during the meeting.

According to the health department's latest data,COVID-19 cases were reported in 32 districts till May 1 and asof May 15, its footprints extended to 44 out of 52 districtsin the state.

In some districts, fresh cases were reported followingthe arrival of migrant workers, an official said.

Damoh district recorded its first case on Friday, whena migrant worker, who arrived from Mumbai, tested positive forthe infection, he said.

Till Friday evening, 239 patients have succumbed tothe infection.

During the meeting, Chief Minister Shivraj SinghChouhan directed the officials to conduct proper screening ofmigrants, who are arriving in MP from other states.

Chouhan said that as on Friday, 3.39 lakh migrantshave arrived in MP.

People hailing from other states, who are stranded inMP, are also being dropped till the state border.

A total of 10,000 buses have been deployed fortransportation of migrants and as many as 77 special trainshave arrived in state till Friday, he said. ADU ARUNP NP