New Delhi: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said that his government has ordered public buses in the city, Metro trains and hospitals to be disinfected every day as a precautionary measure to deal with the spread of novel coronavirus.
In Delhi, there are four confirmed cases so far, one of which is still to be cleared by the National Institute of Viorology, Pune. Of these, the first three cases have generated as many as 105, 168 and 64 contacts respectively – all of them have to be screened now, said the chief minister. All these cases and those who turn out to be suspected positive cases after screening have to be quarantined for at least 14 days. “For that, we appeal to all employers in Delhi to sanction paid leave to such employees for the quarantine period,” said Kejriwal.
With an aim to contain the further spread of coronavirus cases in India, the central government on Tuesday had decided to cancel all Visas and e-Visas that had been granted to people from Italy, Iran, South Korea and Japan on or before March 3. On February 2, India had temporarily suspended Visa and e-Visa facilities for Chinese nationals and foreigners residing in China.The ban is applicable those who had yet not entered India.
On Sunday, Kejriwal said that he would request Union health minister Harsh Vardhan to also ban travel to these coronavirus affected countries.
{{/usCountry}}On Sunday, Kejriwal said that he would request Union health minister Harsh Vardhan to also ban travel to these coronavirus affected countries.
{{/usCountry}}The chief minister said, “We have learnt about shortage of anti-pollution masks and hand sanitisers in the market. But, one needs to know that people who have no symptoms of a flu, cold, cough or fever, do not need to wear masks. As far as cleaning hands is concerned, one can do that with regular soap wash.”
When told about alleged incidents of hoarding of sanitisers and anti-pollution masks, Kejriwal said that the government would take action on complaints against such cases. The chief minister, who chaired a state task force on Sunday, said the government was “fully prepared” to deal with the novel coronavirus, adding that people do not need to panic.
Addressing a press conference at the Delhi Secretariat, Kejriwal said 168 isolation beds had been set up at 25 hospitals for coronavirus patients. He appealed to the people in Delhi if anybody from their neighbourhood had returned from foreign in the past 14 days, they should inform the government.
All passengers at the airport are being screened. Forty doctors of Delhi government hospitals are deployed at the airports for the purpose. All those passengers who undergo thermal screenings at the airport once they go home, especially those from Delhi, are being kept under watch for 14 days to check for symptoms. “So far, 1,40,603 passengers have been screened at the airports and have been put on surveillance,” he said.
These 25 hospitals – of which 19 are operated by the city government and six are private – are now equipped with collective samples pertaining to test of coronavirus, said Delhi’s health minister Satyendar Jain.
Jain said people who do not have any symptoms are not required to give any samples in the hospitals. “Only people who have returned from abroad and are showing symptoms are required to give samples in the hospitals. Those who have travelled should stay at home for the next 14 days if they are advised to do so,” he added.
The Delhi government had announced a 24X7 state-district level control room helpline numbers - 011-22307145, 011-22300012 and 22300036.