BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said the prohibitory orders in place under section 144 of the CrPC will continue to remain in force in the state despite the gradual unlocking of 'Corona Curfew' from June 1.
Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure bans assembly of five or more persons at one place.
In a bid to control the spread of the virus, the state government had imposed 'Corona Curfew' in several districts of the state, including Bhopal and Indore, till May 31.
In a televised address to the state in the evening, Chouhan said that despite the gradual unlocking from June 1, people and authorities need to take all the necessary precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
"If there is carelessness, infection will continue to rise. The third wave will break out when the number of cases go up. We need to prevent such a situation while starting the unlocking process from June 1," he said. The state government has chalked out a roadmap to prevent such a situation, he said.
"Holding programmes will continue to be banned. Attendance at marriages should be very thin and those who participate should be tested for COVID-19. We have to decide that to what extent markets should be opened," he said.
Chouhan said that shopkeepers and their customers should follow the COVID-19 protocols.
"For this, rules will be framed. Restrictions under section 144 of the CrPC will be enforced to avoid gathering of people," he said.
Despite unlocking, testing for COVID-19 will continue, he said.
Earlier, while reviewing the pandemic situation in the state, Chouhan said the positivity rate in 45 districts has reached below five per cent.
The state has reached the 19th place in the country as far as the infection count is concerned, he said.
Chouhan said the government has been trying to bring the infection count to zero in the state by May 31.
He said that the survey carried out under the Kill Corona' campaign in rural areas has been completed 100 per cent.
Earlier this week, the state government has allowed "restricted relaxations" in five districts- Jhabua, Alirajpur, Khandwa, Burhanpur and Bhind- starting from Monday.