IAS officer from Bhopal among nine positive for coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal/Indore: An IAS officer is among nine persons who have tested positive for Covid-19 coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh since Thursday night, taking the state's tally to 120.

The 2011-batch IAS officer is posted in the health department in Bhopal and has a history of travelling outside Madhya Pradesh, a state official said.

He developed symptoms similar to those found in COVID-19 patients and was tested, the official said. His first report came positive, but results of the second test report are awaited.

Among the other new cases, seven were reported from Indore and one from Chhindwara.

The Chhindwara patient is a 36-year-old man who became the first coronavirus positive case in the district. He works in a government department in Indore and came to Chhindwara on March 19 before the March 25 lockdown.

The patient has been admitted in the Chhindwara district hospital's isolation ward and the people he came in contact with are being quarantined.

Seven fresh coronavirus positive cases were reported from Indore, taking the total number of infected persons in the city to 89.

Out of the total 120 coronavirus cases recorded so far in Madhya Pradesh (health department has confirmed 119), 89 have been from Indore, eight each from Jabalpur and Bhopal, six from Ujjain, two each in Morena, Shivpuri and Gwalior and one each from Khargone and Chhindwara, officials said.

Eight COVID-19 patients have so far died in the state -- five from Indore, two from Ujjain and one from Khargone.