Coronavirus in Delhi LIVE: PWD told to install CCTV in Covid-19 wards

In the past 7 days alone, Delhi has added 13,528 cases, or 33% of its total tally. Stay tuned for Coronavirus in Delhi LIVE updates

11:41 PM

Delhi govt likely to use rapid antigen test kits in containment zones from June 20

11:26 PM

Centre forms three teams to inspect Covid hospitals in Delhi, suggest measures for improvement

10:51 PM

Delhi looks at stepping up testing

As Delhi prepares to ramp up testing for the coronavirus infection, Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Monday said laboratory facilities under the Centre in the national capital are being extended to the city government, while all labs and hospitals have been directed to work on their full potential to step up testing.
 

The Delhi government is likely to use rapid antigen kits for testing in containment zones and healthcare settings from June 20, officials said.
 

The move comes after the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) advocated the use of rapid antigen test kits for diagnosis of Covid-19 in containment zones and healthcare settings in combination with the RT-PCR test.
 

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah met leaders of various political parties in the national capital.

10:42 PM

Delhi govt asks its PWD to install CCTV cameras in Covid-19 wards within 24 hours

10:40 PM

DDMA's meeting to discuss capping hospital charges postponed

A crucial meeting of the Delhi Diaster Management Authority to discuss capping private hospital and ambulance charges amidst allegations of exorbitant cost of Covid-19 treatment has been postponed, officials said on Monday.

 

Lt Governor Anil Baijal, who is also the DDMA chairman, had called the meeting on Tuesday (June 16) to discuss several important issues such as setting up of large makeshift hospitals, reduction in testing charges by private labs, and empowerment of resident welfare associations (RWA) by providing oxymeters and oxygen cylinders to deal with the pandemic.

 

"The DDMA meeting, which was scheduled to take place tomorrow, has been postponed. A new date will be decided later this week," an official said.

 

9:17 PM

73 deaths and 1647 new positive cases reported in Delhi today; the total in national capital now reaches 42,829, death toll 1400

9:00 PM

Amid spike in Covid-19 cases, North Western Railway to rush 150 isolation coaches to Delhi

The railways have decided to provide isolation coaches in Delhi amidst an increase in the spread of coronavirus infections in the national capital, officials said on Monday. On the instructions of the Railway Board, the North Western Railway (NWR), which is headquartered in Jaipur, will be sending 150 such coaches to Delhi, the officials said.

 

According to Chief PRO (NWR) Abhay Sharma, NWR has converted 266 coaches as isolation coaches keeping in view the spike in coronavirus cases at its different divisions in pursuance of the directions from the Board. The Railway Board has taken the initiative on the recommendation of the Delhi government, the NWR spokesperson said.

 

Of these, Ajmer division has converted 85 coaches, Jodhpur division 83 coaches, Bikaner division 50 coaches and Jaipur division 48 coaches into isolation coaches," he said. Apart from the first batch of 150 coaches that are being sent to Delhi, the remaining coaches will be sent as per requirement in future.

8:53 PM

Amit Shah visits LNJP hospital; orders CCTV in Covid-19 wards of all designated hospitals

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday directed the Delhi Chief Secretary to install CCTV cameras in Covid-19 wards of every designated hospital in the national capital for proper monitoring, and alternative canteens for uninterrupted supply of food to the patients.

 

After paying a surprise visit to the Lok Nayak Jay Prakash Narayan (LNJP) hospital here to review arrangements related to Covid-19, Shah also suggested psychosocial counselling of doctors and nurses engaged in the service of humanity through fight against coronavirus.

 

The home minister directed the Delhi Chief Secretary to install CCTV cameras in Covid-19 wards of every coronavirus-designated hospital, so that there is proper monitoring and problems of patients can be resolved, a home ministry statement said.

8:43 PM

Modi govt will leave no stone unturned to help people in need: Amit Shah after visiting LNJP hospital in Delhi

8:36 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Delhi govt orders labs to ramp up Covid-19 testing to meet demand

The Delhi government on Monday issued a slew of guidelines for government and private labs after the Central Government's decision to ramp up testing in the city.

 

Delhi has the third-highest Covid-19 count after Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. The capital's tally of coronavirus infections has touched 41,182 as the number of deaths due to the disease climbed to 1,327. The AAP government ordered all laboratories to work with full potential and increase testing capacity so that demand can be met. The city government further directed that no samples should be taken without RT-PCR and that they should be taken by strictly following the ICMR guidelines.

 

There is no limit on the maximum number of samples that can be sent for testing in private labs, they said, adding that the labs will have to give results in 24-48 hours. There are a total of 42 labs to test the corona samples in Delhi, out of which 18 are government labs and 24 private ones. Home Minister Amit Shah had on Monday chaired an all-party meeting in the wake of a spurt in novel coronavirus cases in the national capital.

8:14 PM

Coronavirus LIVE update: Delhi BJP to distribute 'kadha' to fight Covid-19

In a rather bizarre move, the Delhi unit of the BJP has decided to start distributing 'Kadha' (a liquid made of herbal extracts) among residents of Delhi to fight Covid-19.

 

"Delhi BJP has started a campaign to distribute the decoction to the needy, so that people can be protected from coronavirus by boosting their immunity," said the Delhi BJP Chief Adesh Kumar Gupta on Monday.

 

He added that BJP cadres will distribute as much as 10 lakh bottles of 'kadha' along with sanitizers and face masks. He announced that the Delhi BJP has also created a team of doctors that will work as a help desk and advise people. Meanwhile, cadres will carry on the campaign with social distancing norms, said Gupta.

 

Earlier in the day, Gupta said that he demanded that rates in private hospitals treating COVID-19 patients be fixed, during the all party meeting called by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who seems to have taken charge to salvage the rising corona tally in the national capital.

7:51 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Amit Shah directs Delhi Chief Secy to install CCTV cameras in coronavirus wards

Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah on Monday directed the Delhi Chief Secretary to install CCTV cameras in coronavirus wards of every Covid-19 hospital.

 

"Amit Shah directed the Delhi Chief Secretary to install CCTV cameras in Corona wards of every Corona hospital, so that there is proper monitoring and problems of patients can also be resolved," a government release said.

 

The minister also visited Lok Nayak Jay Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital to review arrangements related to Covid-19. He directed the Delhi Chief Secretary that back-ups for canteens supplying food should also be established so that in case there is an infection in one canteen, patients can continue to get food without disruption.

 

"We told the Home Minister in detail about the facilities at the hospital. He was very happy with our work and appreciated our staff," said Suresh Kumar, Medical Director of Delhi's LNJP Hospital.

7:47 PM

Home Minister Amit Shah paid surprise visit to Lok Nayak Jay Prakash Narayan Hospital in New Delhi

7:46 PM

Delhi BJP, AAP to fight Covid-19 together after Amit Shah meeting; Congress slams them for rising cases

After a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday, Delhi's ruling AAP and the main opposition BJP said Covid-19 needs to be fought keeping political differences aside, while the Congress hit out at the Centre and the Delhi government for pandemic surge in the city. Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta and AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh sharing details of the meeting said testing will be increased to 18,000 per day from June 20.

 

Singh said it was decided in the meeting that politics should be kept away in fighting the pandemic. He said increasing number of hospital beds for coronavirus patients was also discussed in the meeting. Gupta said a Central team will give a report on capping private hospital charges after which action will be taken to control arbitrary rates charged by them. The party also demanded halving the lab test charges for Covid-19, he said.

 

"In this hour of crisis, we should fight against the pandemic together instead of trading charges," the Delhi BJP chief said after the meeting.

7:18 PM

Delhi BJP, AAP to fight Covid-19 together after Shah meeting; Cong slams them for case surge

After a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday, Delhi's ruling AAP and the main opposition BJP said Covid-19 needs to be fought keeping political differences aside, while the Congress hit out at the Centre and the Delhi government for pandemic surge in the city. Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta and AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh sharing details of the meeting said testing will be increased to 18,000 per day from June 20.

 

Singh said it was decided in the meeting that politics should be kept away in fighting the pandemic. He said increasing number of hospital beds for coronavirus patients was also discussed in the meeting. Gupta said a Central team will give a report on capping private hospital charges after which action will be taken to control arbitrary rates charged by them. The party also demanded halving the lab test charges for Covid-19, he said.

 

"In this hour of crisis, we should fight against the pandemic together instead of trading charges," the Delhi BJP chief said after the meeting.

7:15 PM

Amit Shah asked Delhi's LNJP Hospital to focus on work and not pay heed to negative reports: AAP MP

6:55 PM

Centre will take all necessary steps to check Covid-19 spread in Delhi: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the central government will take all necessary steps to check the spread of Covid-19 in Delhi.

 

Chairing a meeting of all political parties in Delhi on the Covid-19 situation, the minister said, We all have to stand united under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the fight against the pandemic." The Union Home Minister directed the Centre, Delhi government and all three Municipal Corporations of Delhi to ensure proper implementation of the decisions including house-to-house survey and coronavirus testing to the lowest level.

 

"The main aim of this meeting is to win the fight against coronavirus with mutual coordination. We have to turn the country and the national capital corona free, healthy and prosperous at the earliest under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This will be possible with the cooperation and coordination of all concerned," Shah said.

 

The Home Minister asked the Delhi government, all three mayors and the Municipal Corporations of Delhi to work together and implement the decisions taken in this morning's meeting, according to an official release by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

6:41 PM

Delhi govt reversed multiple decisions during Covid-19 pandemic after facing flak

From rescinding its directive to convert small and medium nursing homes into dedicated Covid-19 facilities to withdrawing its order on "indiscriminately" sending doctors and other medical workers in quarantine, the Delhi government has reversed its own instructions during the pandemic, much after facing flak from the medical community.

 

On June 14, the city government withdrew its order to convert small and medium nursing homes into dedicated Covid-19 facilities.

 

This was not the only order that the AAP government had to withdraw. However, the reversal of the decision came after intense criticism from the Delhi Medical Association (DMA), which said the move will harm the healthcare needs of non-Covid-19 patients. According to a new order issued by the Delhi government on Sunday, the decision to declare nursing homes as Covid facilities was "withdrawn with immediate effect".

6:30 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Delhi govt asks labs to increase their Covid-19 testing capacity

The Delhi Government on Monday issued an order to private and government laboratories, asking them to work with their full capacity and increase their COVID-19 testing capacity.

 

As per the order, private labs will have to give results within 48 hours. Samples will be collected based on ICMR guidelines and no sample will be collected without RT-PCR App. There are 42 labs in Delhi including 18 government and 24 private. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, along with Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, chaired a meeting on Sunday in which Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal were present.

 

Shah announced a series of measures to tackle the disease in the national capital including increasing testing three times in six days, providing 500 converted rail coaches to add 8,000 beds and steps for the availability of 60 per cent coronavirus beds in private hospitals at lower rates.

6:24 PM

HC notice to Delhi govt on plea challenging circular suspending legal consultation of inmates

The Delhi High Court on Monday issued notice to Delhi government on a plea seeking quashing of a circular dated March 25 suspending legal consultation of the inmates with advocates of their choice in Delhi prison in view of Covid-19 pandemic.

 

The petition, filed by lawyer Ajit P Singh through advocate Lav Kumar Agrawal, is seeking to allow legal interviews between jail inmates with the advocates of their choice. A division bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan asked Delhi government to file a reply on the petition and listed the matter for hearing on June 29.

 

The petitioner submitted that the circular issued by the Director-General (Prison), who is working under the respondent government, has violated Article 21 of the Constitution of India by not allowing the inmates of Delhi Prison to take legal advice and consultations by way of personal meetings and peruse their cases by way of Advocate of their choice.

5:58 PM

Centre providing 500 isolation coaches to Delhi govt, says CPRO Northern Railway

In a bid to combat Covid-19, the Central government is providing a total of 500 isolation coaches to Delhi Government, said Northern Railway CPRO Deepak Kumar on Monday.

 

"Central government is providing 500 isolation coaches to Delhi government to help in the fight against Covid-19. A total of 50 coaches have already been deployed at Shakur Basti containing 900 beds. Around 180 coaches will be placed at Anand Vihar and some at another station by tomorrow," Kumar told ANI. "By tomorrow, 250 coaches will be in place. The remaining 250 coaches will be deployed quickly after identifying the areas in a joint survey by the Delhi government and Railways," he added.

 

Meanwhile, train services have been suspended from today at Anand Vihar railway station as all of its platforms have been reserved for the deployment of isolation coaches for coronavirus patients.

 

According to a Railways official, all five trains running from Anand Vihar station in east Delhi will now operate from Old Delhi Railway Station.

5:44 PM

Amit Shah visits LNJP Hospital, holds meeting with officials to review coronavirus preparedness

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday afternoon visited Lok Nayak Jaiprakash (LNJP) Hospital and interacted with the management.

 

The minister reached LNJP Hospital after holding an all-party meeting over COVID-19 situation in Delhi. The hospital administration briefed the Home Minister about the number of patients they have handled in the fight against COVID -19 and surgeries and deliveries done. Amit Shah also enquired about the number of patients the hospital has received and how many of them recovered and succumbed to death.

 

He also asked about the number of people who were from Delhi and from other parts of the country who got treatment at the hospital. The hospital administration gave Shah details sought by him. They claimed that 97 per cent of COVID-19 patients went back home after getting treatment. At the all-party meeting, Shah appealed to workers of all political parties to ensure that decisions taken by the Central Government in the interest of the residents of Delhi are implemented in the earnest at the ground level.

5:32 PM

We have to improve Covid-19 testing capacity with newer techniques: Home Minister Amit Shah

5:25 PM

Gear up for more Covid-19 testing, process samples within 48 hours: Delhi govt to labs, hospitals

The Delhi government has directed all laboratories and hospitals to work on their full potential and ramp up COVID-19 testing capacity to meet the increased demand of processing samples. In an order issued on Sunday, Health Secretary Padmini Singla also called for processing the samples within a maximum of 48 hours.

 

"It has been decided to scale up lab testing immediately to effectively contain COVID-19 cases in Delhi. There is no upper limit to send samples to private sector labs, provided they undertake to process the same within the stipulated time frame, that is 24 hours (preferably) and maximum within 48 hours," the order said.

 

It also directed public and private sector laboratories "to work on their full potential and also further ramp up their testing capacity on priority to meet the increased demand of processing".

5:07 PM

Amit Shah appeals to all Delhi political parties to urge workers to ensure Delhi govt Covid-19 guidelines implemented on ground

I appeal to workers of all political parties to ensure that decisions taken by the Central Government in the interest of the residents of Delhi are implemented in earnest at the ground level: Home Minister Amit Shah after an all-party meeting on the Covid-19 situation in Delhi.

5:02 PM

Three days institutional quarantine for those coming to Karnataka from Chennai and Delhi: CM

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Monday said those coming to the state from Chennai and Delhi will have to undergo three days of institutional quarantine followed by 11 days of home isolation. Up till now a seven-day institutional quarantine was prescribed for those returning from Maharashtra, while there was no mandatory institutional quarantine for asymptomatic people returning to Karnataka from other states.

 

Those returning from states other than Maharashtra were asked to quarantine themselves at home.

 

"Those coming from Maharashtra are subjected to seven days of institutional quarantine followed by seven days of home quarantine, while those coming from Chennai and Delhi will have to go for three days of institutional quarantine and eleven days of home quarantine," Yediyurappa said.

4:50 PM

Home Minister Amit Shah visits Delhi's LNJP hospital to review Covid-19 preparedness

4:50 PM

Home Minister Amit Shah at Delhi's LNJP hospital to review preparedness related to coronavirus

Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday visited the LNJP hospital here to review the preparedness to fight Covid-19, officials said.

 

He met senior doctors in the conference room of the hospital who briefed him about the number of patients treated at the facility, deaths there and admissions from outside Delhi, among others,

 

Shah asked about the deaths of Covid-19 patients in the hospital, recovery rate and other details, they said.

4:36 PM

Home Minister Amit Shah at Delhi's LNJP hospital to review preparedness related to coronavirus

4:31 PM

NATHEALTH urges Delhi govt to mandate hospitals topublish Covid-19 treatment charges

Apex healthcare industry body NATHEALTH on Monday said it has urged the Delhi government to mandate the hospitals to publish their treatment charges for Covid-19.

 

In a representation to DelhiHealth MinisterSatyendar Kumar Jain on 'Covid Package Pricing', NATHEALTHalso recommended the appointment of an ombudsman at zonal level to inspect the complaints of overcharging. The representation highlights the unprecedented challenges being faced by private healthcare providers in Covid-19 treatment, it added.

 

"Pricing is a factor of quality of infrastructure, level of services, medical protocol followed, brands of medicines used, skill and salaries of doctors and staff and more importantly the medical outcomes," NATHEALTH said.