NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday ordered fresh demarcation of containment zones in Delhi to improve the Covid situation. The completion of demarcation of containment zones by June 26 and the vigorous listing of households even outside containment zones were among the decisions announced by Shah after his meeting with top officials of the central government, Delhi government and Lieutenant General Anil Baijal.
The review meeting also discussed the report submitted by Dr VK Paul, chairperson of the high-level committee constituted by Shah. The Union home minister advised the Delhi government to implement the recommendations of the panel.
The Delhi government also has to finalise by June 22 a plan to quarantine and conduct contact tracing of all infected persons in Delhi, listing and monitoring of each and every household even outside containment zone. Shah also directed the Delhi government to constitute district-level teams by June 23 to assist in demarcating the new containment zones teams.
It was also decided that a survey of the new containment zones will have to be done by June 30 and a comprehensive survey of entire Delhi by July 6. On June 14, Shah had issued directions to the Delhi government to complete a comprehensive health survey of people living in containment zones. This survey was completed on June 19.
Officials said it was decided that the serological survey would be done in all of Delhi from June 27 to July 10, in which 20,000 people’s samples will be tested. The officials added that the Delhi government would also assess how many days before death the person was brought to hospital and from where. The central government shall also be informed of the number of people kept in home isolation, the ministry added.
Price capping pinches private hospitals
With the AAP government fixing the cost of a Covid bed in any private hospital in Delhi between `8,000 and `10,000 and an ICU bed with a ventilator at Rs 15,000-RS 18,000 per day, private hospitals say the decision may not be financially sustainable for them.
CCTVs at hospitals irk stressed health workers
As Union Home Minister Amit Shah last week had asked for CCTV cameras in Covid wards, many in the medical fraternity, feel that the decision questions the dedication of healthcare workers. It is demoralising as medical staff are slogging day and night, they contend.