Following a spike in coronavirus cases in Bhopal, on Wednesday the Madhya Pradesh state government announced a 10-day lockdown in Bhopal which will come into effect at 8pm this evening, Friday July 24th, and remain in place until 8am on August 4th. The coronavirus pandemic has worsened in India in recent weeks, which now has 1.3 million confirmed cases, making it the third-worst affected country globally, trailing only the USA and Brazil.
The total number of positive cases in Bhopal has now surpassed 5,000, with more than 144 deaths. Tragically, a majority of those deaths have been of survivors of the 1984 gas disaster, most of whom suffer from chronic health conditions due to gas exposure. Thankfully, government officials have confirmed that heath workers and care practitioners will be able to continue their vital work in the community, provided they carry badges identifying them as key workers.
While the re-opening of the Chingari clinic is currently on hold due to the shutdown, staff from the Sambhavna and Chingari clinics, as well as the network of more than 150 community volunteers, will continue their vital work during this period. If you would like to support that work and help safeguard the vulnerable in Bhopal, we hope you will consider joining our Bhopal’s Community Shield Campaign:
https://www.bhopal.org/support-us/community-shield-campaign/
We will have more updates from Bhopal for you soon, in the meantime we hope that you remain safe and in good health.
