op bureaucracy in Madhya Pradesh, handling the coronavirus challenge, has been hit by a crisis after two senior IAS officers tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday.
Madhya Pradesh Principal Health Secretary and a deputy director, both women, were tested positive to novel coronavirus on Saturday, taking the Covid-19 tally to 179 which included 25 fresh cases being reported in the last 24 hours, officials said.
Of the 179 cases, 128 are from Indore, the commercial capital of the state.
The death toll due to coronavirus in the state now stands at 11.
Interestingly, the principal secretary-level officer on Saturday issued a video bulletin of the state's Covid-19 scenario.
Notably, an IAS officer in health department tested positive to coronavirus on Thursday.
The deputy director, also a doctor, who tested positive was actively involved in handling the coronavirus crisis in the state, a health bulletin stated.
Two other IAS officers, part of the Health Department team, were also tested but have come out to be negative.
The state government has, meanwhile, prepared a plan for replacing all officers who have been working to tackle the coronavirus pandemic in various capacities.
A list of 14 IAS officers, who had been in contact with each other as part of the covid-19 response team, has been prepared and a proposed second line has also been set up. The officers include those from the health department, finance, urban administration, medical education and rural development departments and had been coordinating for the response to covid-19 in MP.
A total of 137 samples were sent for tests in Bhopal on Thursday, of which, eight tested positive on Friday. The total number of positive cases in Bhopal has jumped to 17 which includes 8 Jamaatis, two IAS officers, and a police constable.
The eight Jamaat attendees and the police constable are residents of the old city areas, which is a cause of concern as it is a densely populated area. A total of 10 containment zones have been created, including that in the posh Char Imli area, where most top bureaucrats reside.
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