Delhi on Wednesday registered 131 coronavirus deaths – its highest toll in the span of a day so far. The Capital’s tally rose to 5,03,084 as it reported 7,486 new cases in the last 24 hours.
The Capital’s positivity rate stood at 12.03%, according to the government’s health bulletin. The number of active cases in Delhi was 42,458, while the recoveries reached 4,52,683. The city’s total toll stood at 7,943.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will hold an all-party meeting on Thursday in view of the surge in coronavirus cases in the Capital, PTI reported. An unidentified Aam Aadmi Party leader told the news agency that Kejriwal will ask for the cooperation of all MPs in creating awareness about the disease in their respective constituencies.
Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party chief Adesh Gupta said he will attend the meeting and ask the Delhi government to strictly enforce measures like use of face masks and physical distancing, instead of considering a lockdown. “I will also ask the chief minister to improve facilities like ICU [intensive care unit] beds at its hospitals in Delhi so that more patients can be treated there,” he said, according to the PTI.
Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President Anil Chaudhary said his party has repeatedly spoken about inadequate testing. “Besides this, we will also raise the issue of ban on Chhath Puja at public places in the meeting,” he added.
Also read: Coronavirus: Delhi revises limit on wedding guests from 200 to 50 amid rise in cases
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday began implementing measures to control Delhi’s coronavirus situation. The home ministry said that 45 doctors and 160 paramedics from the Central Armed Police Force had already reached Delhi. “The remaining doctors and medics to reach Delhi in next few days,” the ministry added.
The medical professionals will be posted at the Defence Research and Development Organisation Hospital near the Delhi airport and the Covid-19 facility in Chhattarpur area.
The Centre also informed that 250 ventilators from Bengaluru will reach Delhi by the weekend.
The government is also planning to conduct another house-to-house survey in Delhi this weekend. It is likely to be completed by 25 November.
The Delhi government is reinstating certain measures in view of the rising cases. On Wednesday, the government revised its limit on wedding guests from 200 to 50. The administration may also shut markets which could be potential infection hotspots.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, meanwhile, said that the government may impose certain local restrictions but will not enforce a total lockdown, Hindustan Times reported. He had on Monday claimed that the third wave of the coronavirus in Delhi had passed its peak.
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