With 84 more persons found infected with coronavirus in Indore district of Madhya Pradesh, the tally went up to 3,344 on Friday, while four patients succumbed to the disease, officials said. The fresh cases in Indore, one of the worst affected districts by the pandemic in the country, were reported in the in the last 24 hours.
Indore's Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Praveen Jadia said 84 persons tested positive in the past 24 hours, taking the number of COVID-19 cases in the district to 3,344.
He informed that four coronavirus patients, including an 80-year-old woman and an 84-year-old man, succumbed during treatment at different hospitals here.
Following these deaths, the toll in district has increased to 126, he said.
According to officials, a 62-year-old man among them died on May 20 at a government hospital in the city.
But information about his death was given in the medical department's bulletin only on late Thursday (May 28), they said.
Local NGOs have alleged "deliberate" delay by the administration in disclosing COVID-19 fatalities in the district, a charge rejected by Jadia.
When asked about this, the CMHO said, "We do not want to hide anything about the COVID-19 status in the district.
"Sometimes the hospital concerned informs us late about the death of COVID-19 patients. So there is a slight delay on our part as well."
The epidemic outbreak in Indore district was first reported on March 24, when four persons tested positive for the viral infection.