If home isolation of Covid-19 patients ends in Delhi, there will be chaos, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said during a meeting with disaster management authority officials on Saturday. The meeting was called upon to discuss Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal’s latest directive which makes 5-day institutional quarantine mandatory for all Covid-19 patients.
“Currently, there are more than 10,000 people under home isolation and there are only 6,000 beds at quarantine centres, where will we accommodate all the people?” the chief minister said during the meeting.
Kejriwal also said that the move will shift the entire focus from moderate and serious patients of Covid-19 to those who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms.
“This is a time when our main focus should be on increasing the recovery rate and keep fatalities at a bare minimum. Should our primary focus be on the serious patients or the asymptomatic or mild persons who actually need no medical treatment as such?” Kejriwal reportedly asked the L-G in the meeting.
{{/usCountry}}“This is a time when our main focus should be on increasing the recovery rate and keep fatalities at a bare minimum. Should our primary focus be on the serious patients or the asymptomatic or mild persons who actually need no medical treatment as such?” Kejriwal reportedly asked the L-G in the meeting.
{{/usCountry}}Kejriwal also said that move will lead to people avoid getting tested for Covid-19 owing to the fear of being whisked away to quarantine centres.
“Why are there different rules for Delhi when the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is allowing home-isolation for asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic cases across the country?” the CM reasoned.
The L-G’s order on Friday added that after the five-day institutional quarantine, asymptomatic Covid-19 patients will be sent for home quarantine.
“Five days institutional quarantine of each case under home-quarantine is to be made mandatory and, thereafter, (they) will be sent for home-isolation, except in cases where symptoms require further hospitalization,” Baijal said in his order.