Delhi govt takes additional steps to curb NCOV outbreak
NEW DELHI/GURUGRAM: In the wake of the global novel Coronavirus outbreak, the Delhi government has sanctioned quarantine facilities for around 1,400 people at police training schools located in Jharoda Kalan and Wazirabad and in addition to this, a statement from the Delhi LG’S office proclaimed that the second phase of the Capital’s response to the pandemic will involve transforming DDA flats in Narela to quarantine around 4,000 people.
LG Anil Baijal on Saturday held a meeting with Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain and top officials of the Delhi government to review measures. According to a statement issued by the LG office, Delhi Police will provide security at these centres while the health department will ensure the availability of medical teams at each quarantine centre.
The district magistrate concerned will be over-all incharge of these centres and provide all facilities, it stated. It was also decided in the meeting that DTC will provide buses for transportation of passengers from the airport to quarantine centres, the statement said.
The Delhi government has also ordered all mini-buses to be disinfected daily in order to prevent the spread of novel Coronavirus in the city where seven COVID-19 cases and one death have been reported so far.
The government had recently also ordered the agencies concerned to disinfect all DTC and cluster buses in the wake of the outbreak of the virus. The transport department has issued an order directing the owners of mini-buses plying in the national Capital to wash and disinfect their vehicles every day.
“In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, all the permit holders and owners of mini buses plying in Delhi on STA (State Transport Authority) permit are directed to wash and disinfect their buses on daily basis,” the order stated, adding that cleaning and disinfection on daily basis are in the interest of passengers and staff deployed in these mini-buses.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Prison department has taken several steps to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus in jails such as manufacturing masks for inmates and healthcare professionals, manufacturing extra phenyl and handwash to ensure a culture of hygiene and sanitation and creating isolation wards for inmates showing flu-like symptoms.
“New inmates are being kept in separate barracks for at least three days. Sensitisation of general staff and inmates about general hygiene and precautions regarding the novel coronavirus is being carried out. Family visits, which are currently allowed twice a week, have been reduced to once a week till March 31. Currently, three family members are allowed to meet an inmate, which has also been reduced to two,” AIG Raj Kumar, who is also the spokesperson of the department said.
Meanwhile, the Gurugram district administration has begun to make preparation to deal with the health crisis. The preparation of the authorities also comes at a time when there are reports that a woman, a resident of Gurugram who had gone to Malaysia had contracted with COVID-19.
Dependent earlier on the services of Indian Army and private hospitals for maintaining the isolation wards, the district authorities have now developed its isolation centers across different parts of Gurugram. These centers in total have the capacity of 1,000 beds. The largest of the isolation wards have been created at the government college in Sector-9 followed by the SGT college that has a total capacity of 300 beds. Beds with a capacity of 100 each have also been set up at Bhangrola village and SCERT center in the city.