No need to panic, situation under control: CM
■ Number of deaths rises to 6 ■ 93 new cases in last 24 hours ■ Total cases up to 386 ■ WhatsApp helpline launched
The total number of coronavirus cases in the national capital on Friday climbed to 386, with 93 fresh cases and two deaths being reported in a day, according to the Delhi health department. The total cases include 259 people who took part in a religious congregation in Nizamuddin area earlier this month.
By Thursday night, the number of cases of the deadly virus in the city stood at 293, including four deaths. Two fresh deaths were reported on Friday, health department officials said, adding that two patients are on ventilator support, five on oxygen supply and 10 in ICUs.
With this the death toll from Covid-19 in Delhi rises to six. Among the fresh cases too, 77 were from the Nizamuddin markaz, the department said in a statement.
Out of the total cases, 10 have been discharged and four had died earlier and one has migrated out of the country.
According to the Delhi health department, out of the total 386 cases recorded so far, 369 are admitted to various hospitals like LNJP Hospital, GTB Hospital, RML Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital and Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH).
The total number of samples sent for Covid-19 testing till date stands at 3,273, the Delhi health department said in a statement.
As many as 3,424 people have been kept in quarantine at various government facilities, it said. A total of 22,274 people, who came in contact with affected persons, are under home-quarantine till date and 4,193 have completed their 14-day quarantine, the officials said.
The number of ventilators at the disposal of the Delhi government stands at 243, while the figure for PPE kits is 3,261 and sanitisers 22,366, the health department said.
Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said that community spread of the virus has not taken place in Delhi yet and there is no need to panic as the situation is under control. He said that only two patients were on ventilator while others were in a stable condition. He assured that his government was well prepared to deal with the increase in the number of Covid-19 patients.
Doctors from various hospitals have, however, complained to the AAP government that those from the markaz undergoing treatment were not cooperating with the medical staff. They have also demanded enhanced security outside and within the hospitals where the markaz evacuees have been admitted. A doctor said that these patients were not following instructions and were reluctant to take medicines.
Four Americans, nine
British and six Chinese nationals were among the 960 foreign Tablighi Jamaat activists who were blacklisted and their tourist visas cancelled by the Union home ministry, officials said on Friday. The foreign Jamaat members, who are currently in different parts of the country, some of whom have tested positive for Covid19, also include 379 Indonesians, 110
Bangladeshi, 63 Myanmarese and 33 Sri Lankan citizens.
As many as 77 Kyrgyzstan, 75 Malaysian, 65 Thai, 12 Vietnamese, 9 Saudi and three French nationals were also among those Tablighi Jamaat activists who were blacklisted and their visas cancelled, a government official said.
Action against the foreign Tablighi Jamaat
members was taken after over 2,300 activists, including 250 foreigners of the Islamic organisation were found to be living at its headquarters located at Delhi's Nizamuddin despite the 21-day lockdown imposed to check the spread of Covid-19.
The Delhi government has also launched a dedicated WhatsApp helpline number to provide people accurate information
about Covid-19. One has to send a “hi” or “hello” on 8800007722 to receive information on the disease, including symptoms, treatments, and the government’s arrangements.
Giving an account of preparedness in the national capital to deal with the sudden spurt in infection, the chief minister said that 328 relief centres have been readied to accommodate 57,000 people. He said: “Anyone can come to these relief centres and stay here. We will take care of them.”
Mr Kejriwal also addressed the concerns of widespread hunger owing to the lockdown, saying numerous centres have been set up in Delhi to provide food to those in need. “To ensure that no one in Delhi starves, 1,780 centres have been set up in Delhi where lunch and dinner is being served. We can feed 10 lakh people daily. On Thursday, about 6 lakh people availed lunch while 6,30,000 availed dinner,” he said. Mr Kejriwal, who is also the AAP convener, held a meeting via videoconference with his party MLAs to discuss the relief work carried out by them in their respective Assemblies in view of the coronavirus outbreak.
Mr Kejriwal, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, and experts will also interact with teachers and parents of all the schools in the city at 3.00 pm on Saturday to help them in “Parenting in the times of Corona.”
While the police registered 33 cases against people for flouting home-quarantine rules, the AAP government deferred from using the Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) Stadium as an isolation facility as the authorities believe the spread of Covid-19 infection is under control in the city.
On March 30, Southeast district magistrate Harleen Kaur had issued an order asking the Sports Authority of India to hand over the stadium to the district administration immediately for setting up of a quarantine facility.
Sources said that the issue of JLN Stadium being turned into a temporary quarantine facility came up during a recent meeting of all district magistrates where it was felt that the government should not use the sports facility for now.
We have prepared 328 relief centres to accommodate 57,000 people. Anyone can come to these relief centres and stay here. We will take care of them. — Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi CM