Chhattisgarh under prohibitory cover as state reports first Covid-19 case

24-year-old London-returned girl and her parents taken to AIIMS Raipur after testing positive, is said to be stable

A London-returnee girl has been tested positive for coronavirus in Chhattisgarh’s capital city propelling the authorities to plunge into action and place state’s entire urban area under prohibitory cover.

The 24-year-old had recently returned from London where she was studying. She returned home via Mumbai airport on March 15. “After she complained of cold and cough, her sample was collected for testing on March 17 and was tested positive for the infection late Wednesday evening, Medical Superintendent of AIIMS Raipur Dr Karan Peepre said.

After her report was our, she and her parents were immediately admitted to AIIMS and kept under observation in the isolation ward, Peepre said, adding that the woman's condition was stable. The samples of her parents were also sent for testing and their reports are awaited, he said.

With the discovery of first coronavirus case in the state, the entire administration swung into action. The administration shut down shops and other establishment in Samta colony, where the affected family was staying and adjoining areas in three-km radius. Reports said the affected girl had come in contact of 70 persons after her return and had visited mall, shopping centres.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel chaired a high-level meeting in the afternoon to review the situation. Later, the state government announced to impose section 144 of the prohibitory order in the state’s entire urban areas that restrict gathering of five or more people.

The state government had taken a slew of measures to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus. The mall, shopping centres, road-side eateries and other centres have been shut down till further order while the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues had postponed meeting people till March 31.

The plying of inter-state buses had been stopped. The state government had earlier taken decision to close schools, colleges, swimming pools and libraries as preventive measures.