Citing falling Covid-19 numbers & no occupancy, Madhya Pradesh closes Covid care centres

NEW DELHI: Citing falling infection numbers and negligible occupancy, Madhya Pradesh has become the first state to order the closure of all Covid Care Centres (CCCs) in the state except in the state capital Bhopal, triggering a political war-of-words between the Congress and the BJP.

In an order issued on December 31, that ET has accessed, the Health Services Department of the state has written to all District Magistrates that CCCs had been opened across the state for asymptomatic persons or those with mild symptoms last year but the situation had changed now.

“Given the present situation of Covid-19 and most CCCs having no bed occupancy, it is directed that all CCCs being closed with effect from January 1, 2021, except in Bhopal district. In the future, if the number of Covid-19 patients increase, the CCCs can be opened again with special permission from the state,” the order said.


MP has only 9,222 active coronavirus cases presently with a 95% recovery rate. The daily positivity rate in MP is also down to only 2.7% as on January 1.

Former Chief Minister Kamal Nath has however criticised the step, saying that the government in the fear of coronavirus had cancelled the assembly session that was to begin from December 28. “Deaths are continuing and positive cases are growing daily,” Nath said.

CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan asked if Nath wanted to keep CCCs open forever. “The Covid situation is under control now. The number of positive patients has decreased considerably. People who report positive – adequate facilities are available for their treatment and many are in home isolation too. If there is a need, we will open CCCs again but there is no logic to keep them open just for the sake of it,” Chouhan said. Numbers had also dropped to 2900 active cases in Indore, once a Covid epicentre.