Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday said he will stay in isolation for four days after his officer on special duty (OSD) and a personal security officer (PSO) tested positive even as the Covid-19 tally in the state is about to cross the 29,000mark.
“My OSD and PSO have tested Corona positive. My report is negative at the moment, but as part of precaution, I have decided to self isolate myself for four days. It’s crisis time, people should be very careful”, Baghel tweeted on Sunday.
The pandemic has taken an upswing mode in the state with several high-ranking officials and politicians being tested Corona positive. Principal secretary to Governor Sonmani Bora along with Bilaspur district collector and Superintendent of Police have tested positive. Congress MLA from Bemetara Ashish Chhabra was also found infected with the virus on Sunday. Home minister Tamra Dhwaj Sahu’s six aides, including his 4 PSOs, have also tested positive.
With over 1,513 new cases, until this afternoon, the total number of infected people in the state stands at 28,764. However, the death toll due to the pandemic is 262. The number of active corona cases stands at a staggering 12,666 whereas 15,518 have already been cured and discharged.
The state has been witnessing a daily spike of more than 1,000 cases for a week now with several containment zones sprung up across the Chhattisgarh. The state government has allowed inter-state operation of buses and other passenger vehicles, but has made it mandatory for the bus operators to follow the guidelines issued by the Transport Commissioner.
