Bhopal: Several vegetable markets shut after grocery wholesaler tests COVID-19 positive
Coronavirus in Madhya Pradesh: Several vegetable markets in Bhopal were ordered shut late on Saturday after a vegetable wholesaler in the city's biggest grocery market -- Karond, was tested coronavirus positive. Identified as Abdul Ghaffar, the wholesaler had developed some COVID-19 symptoms after which his samples were taken for testing. The closure of vegetable markets across Bhopal has become a cause of concern for locals, while the administration is worried for thousands of people who had come in contact with the wholesaler while buying and supplying vegetables.
According to the details, the vegetable market used to supply nearly 6,000 quintals of vegetables to other parts of the state. Other wholesalers who had purchased groceries from Abdul Ghaffar are also likely to sell the same to others.
Wholesalers from nearly 100 to 200 nearby villages are being counted as the daily customers of the market, where Abdul Ghaffar used to sit.
On Friday, IAS officer and Health Corporation MD JJ Vijay Kumar had tested COVID-19 positive. On Saturday, 12 IAS officers of the COVID-19 core group were home quarantined.
Pallavi Jain Govil and Veena Sinha were admitted to Bhopal AIIMS and their family members were also quarantined. Around 150 employees of the Health Department are under medical supervision.
Eight more persons tested positive from among other cases reported on Saturday, Chief Medical and Health Officer, Bhopal, Sudhir Kumar Daheria said.
So far 17 positive cases have been reported from the state capital. In Madhya Pradesh, the number of infected patients has increased to 182.
Meanwhile, journalist K. Saxena, who was in the news for attending a press conference of former Chief Minister Kamal Nath and subsequently testing positive for the virus, has completely recovered from the infection, a government bulletin said.
There were fears of the virus infecting many journalists who had attended the presser. They were advised to isolate themselves. Saxena's daughter Gunjan, who on return from London was reported positive for the virus, was also cleared of the infection.
The state is staring at the third stage (community infection) of coronavirus with a rapid rise in cases. Health authorities have, however, allayed the fears about that stage.
In Madhya Pradesh, the number of corona infected patients has increased to 182. Three more corona positives were found in Bhopal late Saturday evening. These include Pallavi Jain Govil, Veena Sinha and Abdul Ghaffar.
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