Bhopal, Eight persons including two brothers were reported dead in the past 24 hours, taking the toll of COVID-19 patients to 61 in Madhya Pradesh, according to the state health department. With 226 persons testing positive on Thursday, the number of coronavirus positive cases rose to 1,164.

The virus has now expanded its footprint to 26 out of 52 districts of the state.

Indore has reported the highest 707 positive cases in the state with 163 new cases being reported in the last 24 hours, health officials said.

In Bhopal, 29 more cases were reported, which took the tally of COVID-19 patients in the state capital to 196.

With 17 more persons testing positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, the number of cases in Khandwa has gone up to 33, fourth highest in the state after Indore, Bhopal and Khargone, said the health department bulletin.

Of the 61 COVID-19 deaths in the state 45 have occurred in Indore alone. So far, five persons have died in Bhopal, six in Ujjain, three in Khargone and one each in Chhindwara and Dewas.

Morena district has recorded 14 positive cases, Jabalpur 13 (one new), Ujjain 30, Hoshangabad 16, Khargone 39, Barwani 22, Raisen 08 (four new), Gwalior six, Khandwa 33 (17 new), Dewas 17 (two new), Sheopur 03, Vidisha 13, Chhindwara 04, Satna two, Dhar 6 (three new), Shivpuri two, Ratlam 12, Shajapur 5 (one new), Mandsaur 07 (five new), Agar Malwa 4 (one new) and Betul, Tikamgarh, Alirajpur and Sagar one each, health officials said.

So far 65 patients have recovered and returned home, the officials said.

The health officials also said that 405 containment areas have been declared across the affected cities in the state.