Covid-19: Siren to ring twice across Madhya Pradesh on March 23. Here's why
Announcing a campaign, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that on March 23, a siren would ring across Madhya Pradesh for two minutes at 11 am and 7 pm respectively.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday once again appealed to the state’s residents to wear a mask and maintain social distancing in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Announcing a campaign, Chouhan said that on March 23, a siren would ring across Madhya Pradesh for two minutes at 11 am and 7 pm respectively.
“When the siren rings, everyone will have to take a pledge to wear a mask and follow norms of social distancing”, Chouhan’s tweet, translated from Hindi read. “I also appeal to all the shopkeepers to draw circles outside their stores to ensure social distancing. I will also do the same,” he added.
Referring to the Sunday lockdown in three districts of the state - Bhopal, Indore and Jabalpur - Chouhan while addressing a press conference pointed out that the infection is rapidly spreading across several other districts of Madhya Pradesh and it has to be stopped. “ I do not wish that economic activities should be disrupted but the increasing pace of Covid-19 is worrying,” the chief minister said.
Madhya Pradesh on Saturday logged 1,308 fresh Covid-19 disease cases and two more deaths- taking the caseload and death toll to 2,74,405 and 3,903 respectively. Saturday’s cases have been the highest in 2021 and the most in nearly three months. More than 2,63,000 people have recovered so far while active cases have now climbed to 7,344. Authorities conducted 24,695 tests for Covid-19 on Saturday while over 61.17 lakh tests have been done so far.
Residents of Bhopal, Jabalpur and Indore - the worst-hit districts in the state - woke up to deserted streets and closed establishments on Sunday as the one-day lockdown returned after a gap of seven months. The MP government had earlier imposed lockdowns on every Sunday in August last year.
According to a report by Hindustan Times on Friday, the home department said that all educational institutions will remain closed in these three districts during the Sunday lockdown. While Rajesh Rajora, additional chief secretary home department said movement of people will be allowed to airports, railway stations and hospitals and students will be allowed to appear for competitive examinations, the report added.