15 cases of coronavirus detected in Madhya Pradesh capital.
Bhopal: Bhopal became the second district in Madhya Pradesh to shut down all shops barring those selling medicine and milk. So far, 15 cases of coronavirus have been detected in the capital of Madhya Pradesh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while announcing the lockdown roughly two weeks ago, had said all essential goods and services will be available during the lockdown.
But on March 31, the state's new Shivraj Shingh Chouhan government - which came to power last month after the Congress government led by Kamal Nath collapsed -- declared a complete clampdown on Indore district.
Indore has seen 128 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Overall, Madhya Pradesh has 179 positive case of the virus and 11 people are dead.
The government order issued today said starting midnight, no one will be allowed on the streets, except police, medical personnel and government servants involved in emergency services.
The unprecedented order came after two top bureaucrats -- Principal Secretary Health Pallavi Jain Govil and Additional Director Information/Communication (Health) Dr Veena Sinha - contracted the disease.
Several other government officials were also infected earlier.
On Thursday, IAS officer J Vijay Kumar tested positive for coronavirus. Mr Kumar is the chief executive officer of the Ayushman Niramayam Society and the managing director of the MP Public Health Corporation.
The city has now 10 containment areas. Even the Raj Bhawan and Chief Minister's house falls in the containment area-which is a 1-km radius from the epicenter, where an infected person lives. The area is isolated to contain the virus.