Expect one lakh active COVID-19 cases by April-end: MP CM
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said the number of active COVID-19 cases in the state might reach one lakh by the end of April, given the spike. "We will try to stop this. We have started adopting measures, including lockdown," he said. Till Friday night, the number of active cases in Madhya Pradesh was 30,486, while its caseload reached 3,27,220.
State has ample supply of oxygen for medical purposes: Chouhan
The state government has decided to open COVID-19 Care Centres in all the districts due to the rise in cases, Chouhan said, adding that in Bhopal and Indore, a team under Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Rajesh Rajora is looking for buildings where such facilities could be set up. The supply of oxygen for medical purposes has been maintained in the state, he added.
Oxygen also being sourced from Bhilai steel plant
"Till three days back, 60 metric tonnes of oxygen was supplied every day. On Friday, 180 MT of oxygen was supplied in the state. We get the supply of oxygen from Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and a small amount from Maharashtra. We have also started getting it from Bhilai (Chhattisgarh) steel plant," Chouhan said. Oxygen should be used judiciously and as per requirement, he added.
One lakh Remdesivir injections have been purchased
Recently, several cities in the state had reported a shortage of Remdesivir injection that is used in the treatment of coronavirus. Chouhan said, "We received 2,000 injections the day before yesterday. The state government purchased one lakh injections and has started getting them." The state government is also making arrangements for ventilators. "We will soon get 350 ventilators from the Centre," he said.
Adopt appropriate behavior to protect yourself from the pandemic: Chouhan
Chouhan appealed to the people to stay at home and avoid venturing out unnecessarily to help curb the virus. "We should adopt appropriate behavior to protect ourselves from the pandemic. People should help by keeping themselves protected," he said. The CM said he is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting on Saturday with the district crisis management committees to discuss the pandemic situation.