Taking a positive initiative to fight against the Cvoid-19, traders associations, medicine dealers associations, public representatives and others took a collective decision to impose a self-lockdown in third week of september in Narsinghpur town, 241km south east of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. While this is a hard move to make as it hurts the daily business and livelihood of many people but people a consensus formed amongst people to restrict the spread of coronavirus in their locality. According to reported numbers, 2126 Covid-19 cases have been registered with 13 deaths till Friday as per the state government’s data.
“The administration didn’t enforce it at all. It’s good to see public representatives led by local MLA Jalam Singh Patel and traders associations coming forward to take the decision on their own. The associations pertain to cloth merchants, ornaments, grocery etc. However, there is no restriction on supply of milk, sale of vegetables and medicines or other essential commodities. At the same time, there is no punitive action against anyone if he is running his shop”, said collector, Narasinghpur Ved Prakash.
In Jabalpur, another city in Mahakoshal region, jewellers association, medicine dealers associations and certain other traders associations observed self-lockdown in the third week of September. The other towns in Jabalpur district where people imposed self-lockdown include Sihora, Patan and Gosalpur towns in the district for certain days this month.
Welcoming the decisions taken by the traders associations in different parts of the state a senior government official said, “Coronavirus is spreading mainly because people are not following safety protocols. It is not only Madhya Pradesh but also other parts of the country which are witnessing alarming spread of Coronavirus. People will have to understand that the government has its own limitations of resources and there is no medicine or vaccine so far to cure the disease. Hence, the decisions taken in different parts of the state on self-lockdown will definitely help all of us.”
As per the health department’s bulletin released on Friday night, Covid cases tally touched 117588 with 2227 cases reported in the past 24 hours. There were 30 deaths reported from across the state in the past 24 hours to increase the tally of deaths to 2152. So far, the state has seen recovery of disease of 93238 patients while the number of Covid tests conducted till Friday night stood at 1929748.
