New Delhi: As the number of Covid-19 cases continues to rise in the national capital and criticism pours in from all quarters, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) is set to meet to discuss the need for stricter restrictions in the city, ThePrint has learnt.
According to sources, the DDMA is likely to meet Monday to consider the strategies that need to be put in place to tackle the crisis.
On Friday, the daily count of cases in Delhi crossed 2,000 for the first time. The city’s recorded total of the viral infection has reached 36,824, as of Saturday.
The capital is third on the national Covid cases list and projections show the curve is still far from reaching its peak. Its hospitals are also struggling to cope with the stress. There are also fears of community transmission, with the government admitting that it doesn’t know the origin of nearly half the cases.
“The meeting will discuss whether or not some more restrictions are required to be imposed. What needs to be done in the containment zones will also be addressed,” said a senior Delhi government official who didn’t wish to be named.
Delhi Lt-Governor Anil Baijal will chair the DDMA meeting. The DDMA is constituted under the chairmanship of the L-G and the chief minister serves as vice-chairman.
Baijal had earlier constituted an expert advisory committee for suggestions on various aspects of Covid-19 management. The panel has been tasked to suggest measures to ramp up medical infrastructure, picking up on examples from global and national best practices.
According to sources, many in the Delhi government feel that some restrictions need to be imposed to tackle the “grave” situation the city is in currently.
“All restrictions have been eased so naturally social distancing norms are not being met
and it has also become difficult for the government to carry out contact-tracing of so many people at the same time. Markets are crowded, roads are experiencing traffic jams and the health infrastructure is also under tremendous pressure,” a second official said on condition of anonymity.
However, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain Friday dismissed speculation over an extension of lockdown in the city.
The nationwide lockdown, which was enforced on 25 March, has been eased considerably over the last few weeks. India’s Covid cases tally has now crossed the 3-lakh mark, the fourth highest in the world.
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Criticism on figures
On Friday, the Supreme Court criticised the Delhi government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis and asked why daily testing rate in the capital has dipped from 7,000 to 5,000 amid a spurt in viral cases.
Earlier this week, L-G Baijal overturned the Arvind Kejriwal government’s order to reserve beds in the Delhi government hospitals for the city’s residents. In response, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said Delhi could have over 5 lakh Covid cases by the end of July, and will need 80,000 beds. The city has around 9,000 beds currently.
The opposition parties of Congress and the BJP have also slammed the Kejriwal government over its “mishandling” of the Covid crisis.
The BJP-ruled municipal corporations have also highlighted an alleged mismatch between its death toll figures and the ones provided by the Kejriwal government.
On Thursday, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi said 2,098 people had died of Covid-19 in the period between March and 10 June even as the government’s health bulletin put the figure at 984.
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