Delhi: Coronavirus cases climb to 14,465; LG Baijal directs ramping up of health infra

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Tuesday directed the health department to ramp up medical infrastructure and ensure beds and oxygenation facilities are available at hospitals, as the number of COVID-19 cases climbed to 14,465 and the death toll rose to 288 in the city.

According to a health bulletin, the national capital recorded 412 fresh cases.

Three senior officials of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) were among them.

The Commissioner (Sports), who sits at Vikas Sadan, the DDA headquarters; and Additional Commissioner (Planning) and Deputy Director (Planning), who sit at Vikas Minar building at ITO area, have been diagnosed with COVID-19 infection, sources said.

The number of containment zones has again risen to around 90.

In northwest Delhi's Narela, six lanes were declared as containment zones on Tuesday after half a dozen cases of COVID-19 were detected in Swantantra Nagar.

Parts of Kotla Mubarakpur in southeast Delhi were declared as containment zones in order to prevent the further spread of COVID19, an official said.

On a positive note, a staff member and 10 inmates of the Rohini jail here, who had tested positive for COVID-19, have recovered from the infection, officials said.

In a video conference with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia, Chief Secretary Vijay Dev and top officers of the health and other departments, Baijal directed ramping up of health infrastructure.

According to an official statement, the lieutenant governor asked the officials to monitor containment zones on a dynamic basis for focused action.

During the meeting, it was decided that real-time information will be provided in the public domain about availability of COVID beds in hospitals, it stated.

On Monday, the chief minister had announced that his government is working to create an online system through which a COVID-19 patient will be able to find available beds in hospitals.

Kejriwal on Monday had asserted that the coronavirus situation in the national capital is under control.

"The LG (Lt Governor) directed the health department to closely review the capacity building of medical infrastructure and remove bottlenecks immediately. He advised that the trend of last 10-15 days should be analysed for future management," the statement said.

In the virtual meeting, Baijal was informed that case fatality rate in Delhi is at 1.96 per cent in comparison to the national average of 2.57 per cent.

The health department had ordered 30,000 PPE kits (50,000 PPE in stock), 3.5 lakh N95 masks, 28 ventilators and 435 oxygen concentrator, the statement added. Delhi has been under lockdown since March 23.

As the fourth phase of the lockdown nears completion, the Delhi Metro is all geared up to resume services in compliance with the safety norms once the order comes from authorities.

Sources said the ground staff and others were briefed by their respective team leaders on preparedness and precautions to be taken by them whenever the services are resumed.

The Delhi Metro has been closed since March 22 when the Janata Curfew was imposed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequently the nationwide lockdown was imposed.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) senior staff have already been coming to office since the lockdown norms were eased a week back. Also, metro staff, from train operators to sanitation workers, have been sensitised about the safety norms.

From thermal scanners to test temperature of commuters to stickers on social distancing norms pasted on seats and platform floors, the Delhi Metro has been preparing to handle commuters as per the safety guidelines, anticipating resumption in services.

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The preparations have to be done in advance as once the government order comes the system has to be ready, the officials said.

On Monday, the the total number of cases stood at 14,053, including 276 deaths.

In the bulletin issued on Tuesday, the Delhi Health Department said the death toll from coronavirus has risen to 288, and the total number of cases mounted to 14,465.

It said the cumulative death figures refers to fatalities where primary cause of death was found to be COVID-19, as per the report of the Death Audit Committee on the basis of case sheets received from various hospitals.

Meanwhile, in an online briefing, Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia said the Delhi government has so far sent around 2.71 lakh people back to their home states in 214 trains as another batch of 30,000 migrant workers left for their home towns and villages on Tuesday.

Sisodia said nearly 1.25 lakh people were sent to Bihar, 96,610 to Uttar Pradesh, 3,000 to Jharkhand, 2,500 to West Bengal and 2,100 to Madhya Pradesh till Monday.