Madhya Pradesh COVID-19 cases up by 226 to 1,164; death toll reaches 55

With 226 persons testing coronavirus positive on Thursday, the tally of such patients in Madhya Pradesh has surged to 1,164, health officials said.

Two more persons succumbed to the deadly infection in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll in the state to 55, the officials said.

According to the reports so far, the virus has now expanded its footprint to 26 out of the 52 districts in the state.

Indore has reported the highest number of 707 COVID-19 patients in the state, with 163 cases being reported in the last 24 hours, the health department officials said.

In Bhopal, 29 more cases were reported, which took the tally of such patients in the state capital to 196, they said.

With 17 more persons testing coronavirus positive on Thursday, the number of cases in Khandwa rose to 33, the fourth highest in state after Indore, Bhopal and Khargone, said health officials.

Of the 55 lives that the virus has so far claimed in the state, 9 were reported in Indore alone.

So far, five persons have died in Bhopal, six in Ujjain, three in Khargone and one each in Chhindwara and Dewas.

Apart from Indore and Bhopal, Morena district has recorded 14 coronavirus positive cases, Jabalpur 13 (one new), Ujjain 30, Hoshangabad 16, Khargone 39, Barwani 22, Raisen 08 (four new), Gwalior six, Khandwa 33 (17 new), Dewas 17 (two new), Sheopur three, Vidisha 13, Chhindwara four, Satna two, Dhar six (three new), Shivpuri two, Ratlam 12, Shajapur five (one new), Mandsaur seven (five new), Agar Malwa four (one new) and Betul, Tikamgarh, Alirajpur and Sagar one each, the health officials said.

One patient hails from another state.

So far, 65 patients have recovered and returned home, the officials said.

The health officials said that 405 containment zones have been created across the affected cities in the state.