MP to make carrying negative COVID-19 report mandatory for Maha travellers

In view of the rising coronavirus

cases, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has instructed the state authorities to make it mandatory for the travellers coming from Maharashtra to carry a negative COVID- 19 test report.

Chouhan issued the directives in this regard during a meeting held on Friday, an official statement said.

"It will be mandatory for the travellers coming from Maharashtra to carry a negative report for coronavirus infection. The responsibility for this will be with the bus operators, who will allow passengers to board the bus only on the basis of the report," Chouhan said.

Adequate arrangements should be made for checking along the the state's border areas, he said.

Chouhan said that the number of coronavirus cases in Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Betul, Chhindwara, Ujjain and the state's districts bordering Maharashtra, has been on the rise.

He also said that the situation in all the districts along the Maharashtra border should be monitored constantly.

The chief minister expressed the possibility of imposition of night curfew in Indore and Bhopal- the two cities in the state that are worst-affected by the pandemic.

"The coronavirus infection in Bhopal and Indore is continuously rising. If there is no drop in the COVID-19 cases in the next three days, then night curfew will be imposed in Bhopal and Indore from March 8," Chouhan said.

The coronavirus cases in Indore have almost doubled over the last fortnight. Hence, there is a need to pay special attention in Indore and Bhopal,the chief minister said.

On Friday, six persons in Indore district were found infected with the UK variant of coronavirus. These patients - all of them males aged between 19 and 49 years - had no history of foreign travel, an official had said.

Madhya Pradesh on Friday reported 457 COVID-19 cases, taking the infection tally to 2,63,747, health officials said.

With 176 new cases, Indore's caseload went up to 60,386, while that of Bhopal rose to 44,474 with the addition of 77 cases. Indore has so far reported 933 deaths and Bhopal 618.