Delhi LG asks expert panel to suggest measures to tackle Covid-19 situation: Report

Delhi recorded 4,071 cases on September 19; 4,127 on September 18; 4,432 on September 17; 4,473 on September 16 and 4,263 on September 15.

In view of rising coronavirus cases in Delhi, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Tuesday asked a six-member expert panel to come up with suggestions to deal with the current Covid-19 situation and ramp up health facilities in the national capital, sources said.

Delhi Lt. Governor Anil Baijal addressing a digital press conference over lockdown amid coronavirus pandemic in New Delhi. (@AamAadmiParty/Twitter File Photo)

Baijal held a meeting with the members of the panel among who are Indian Council of Medical Research Director-General Balram Bhargava, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria and National Centre for Disease Control Director Sujeet Kumar Singh.

The expert panel will hold another meeting in the next few days to discuss the strategy to arrest the spread of the coronavirus in the national capital and it is likely to submit its report by September 30, the sources said.

“The LG has asked the six-member expert panel to come up with suggestions on how to tackle the current Covid-19 situation in Delhi. Also, it will suggest measures to ramp up heath facilities, including beds,” a source said.

Before September 20, the national capital recorded over 4,000 Covid-19 cases a day for five consecutive days.

On Monday, 2,548 new cases were reported as only 33,733 tests were conduct on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, the Delhi High Court stayed the AAP government’s order directing 33 big private hospitals to reserve 80 per cent of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds for Covid-19 patients.

However, the Delhi government said it would challenge the high court order on Wednesday.

A Delhi government functionary said that it is extremely important to reserve ICU beds in private hospitals to deal with rising coronavirus cases in the city.