New Delhi: The number of novel coronavirus cases in the national capital rose to 1,707 on Friday, with 67 fresh cases and four deaths being reported in a day, according to Delhi government authorities.
With four more fatalities reported, the death toll from COVID-19 in Delhi has jumped to 42, while the number of coronavirus containment zones here were increased to 68.
New zones were added in various areas, including in Malviya Nagar and Jahangirpuri, the authorities said.
District Magistrate South Delhi B M Mishra said a zone in Sangam Vihar was contained on Friday after a total of four cases in one house related to the March Nizamuddin congregation were traced.
By Thursday night, the number of cases of the deadly virus in the city stood at 1,640, including 38 deaths.
Out of the total cases, 72 have been discharged and one has migrated out of the country, authorities said.
The Delhi government said during the lockdown period private schools in the national capital will not be allowed to increase fees without its approval and only the tuition fee can be charged till the time schools reopen.
Also, schools cannot withhold salaries of teaching and non-teaching staff or collect fee quarterly, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said.
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Schools found not following the directive have been warned of action under the Delhi School Education Act and National Disaster Management Act.
“We are receiving complaints from many parents that private schools have increased their fees. These schools have also not notified the Delhi government. Costs like transportation fees are being added and demanded by the schools.
“And those students who are failing to pay the fees on time are being dropped from online classes. Private schools should not stoop down to this level,” Sisodia said addressing a digital press conference.
Sisodia, also the education minister of Delhi, clarified that charges such as transport fee, annual fee or any other miscellaneous head cannot be levied during the lockdown.
The nationwide lockdown has been in force since March 25. During this period, the national capital also saw a decline in the crime rate.
Sharing data, the Delhi Police said heinous crime was down by 70 per cent in national capital.
The data showed that 221 cases of heinous crimes were registered in 2019 from April 1 to April 15, while in 2020, 66 such cases have been registered.
Last year from April 1 to April 15, total 10,579 cases were registered, while the number of cases reported in 2020 during the same time period was 2,574, police said.
Reports of cases of murder and rape have reduced by over 75 per cent, they said.
In the last two weeks, four cases of murder and 21 cases of rape were registered in Delhi. Last year, total 19 cases of murder and 93 cases of rape were registered during the first two weeks of April.
Cases of robbery and snatching have also gone down by 62 and 79 per cent respectively, police said.
Last year, eight cases of extortion and 13 cases of abduction were recorded in two weeks of April.
This year, no case of extortion was recorded and only one case of abduction was reported, they added.
Amid the lockdown and demand for essentials, Chief Secretary Vijay Dev directed the excise commissioner and drug controller to ensure enough supply of hand sanitiser in the national capital amid the coronavirus outbreak, an official said.
Dev directed the excise commissioner to ensure adequate availability of ethyl alcohol and ethanol to hand sanitiser manufacturers. He also told the Delhi drug controller to augment market linkages of hand sanitiser from distilleries and other units to ensure its availability at all medical and grocery stores, the official said.
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