Covid-19 tally in Madhya Pradesh reaches 426, death toll rises to 33

Among three recent deaths, a 62-year-old doctor from Indore is the first case of a medical practitioner succumbing to the disease in the state.

Representational image | A doctor wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) places a saliva swab into a test tube for analysis during coronavirus symptom tests in Germany | Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi | Bloomberg

Bhopal: With 41 new coronavirus positive cases reported in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, the number of such patients in the state jumped to 426, while three more persons, including a doctor, succumbed to the disease, taking the toll to 33, health officials said.

Of these 426, the highest number of cases, 235, have been detected in Indore, the commercial capital of the state.

As many as 22 of the new cases were reported in Indore district alone, the officials said.

Four new cases were reported in Bhopal in the last 24hours, which took the tally of COVID-19 patients in the state capital to 98, they said.

Two patients, incluing a doctor, died in Indore due to the coronavirus infection on Thursday, while one person succumbed in Dewas, taking the toll to 33, they said.

The death of the 62-year-old doctor in Indore was the first case of a medical practitioner succumbing to the disease in the state.

The death toll in the state now stands at 33, 23 of them in Indore. Five others died in Ujjain, two in Khargone one each in Bhopal, Chhindwara and Dewas, said the officials.

With cases of infection being reported from three new districts – Dewas, Dhar and Shajapur – on Thursday, the pandemic has covered 20 districts of the state so far.

Apart from Indore and Bhopal, Morena district has so far recorded 13 cases, Jabalpur nine, Ujjain 15, Khargone 12, Barwani 12, Gwalior 06, Hoshangabad 06, Khandwa 05, Dewas 03, Chhindwara, Vidisha and Shivpuri two each and Dhar, Betul, Sheopur, Shajapur, Raisen and Khandwa recording one case each.

One patient in Madhya Pradesh hails from another state.

So far, 25 persons have been discharged from hospitals after their recovery from COVID-19, the officials said.

Among the active cases, the condition of 344 patients was stable, while nine were said to be in a serious condition, they said.

In the past one week, two IAS officers posted in the state’s health department and one IPS have tested positive for coronavirus.

Besides, about 50 health workers, including doctors, 12 police personnel and their family members, have tested positive for the infection in Bhopal.

Meanwhile, the authorities on Wednesday sealed Indore, Bhopal and Ujjain districts to control the spread of coronavirus, the officials said.