<span style="color: #222222;">The total number of COVID-19 affected people in Madhya Pradesh has reached 16,036 with addition of 409 new cases in the last 24 hours.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Covid death toll in the state has risen to 629. AIR correspondent reports that the state has 1,313 active containment zones.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">A total of 219 persons were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours taking the number of the recovered cases to 11, 987.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Meanwhile, the administration continued to ease restrictions and allowed paan shops to reopen in Indore, the worst hit district of the state, from Wednesday. These shops can operate from 10 am to 8 pm.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">But, customers are not allowed to consume Paan, or smoke cigarettes by standing near these shops.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">They can purchase these items and take them away. Even dustbins are also not allowed to be kept outside these shops.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The number of COVID-19 cases in Indore district rose to 4,998 after 44 new cases were found in the last 24 hours.</span><br />''