Arvind Kejriwal announces SHIELD plan to combat COVID-19 in Delhi

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday announced an comprehensive plan named 'SHIELD' to control the spread of coronavirus in the national capital.

"We have ordered containment exercise in 21 areas of Delhi where COVID-19 cases have been found. We have SHIELD these areas to control the spread of COVID-19 in the national capital," said CM Kejriwal while addressing media here on Thursday.

"S stands for sealing of localities, wherein, people from a locality will not go to other areas and vice-versa. H means home quarantine i.e.people will remain in their homes only," said Kejriwal.

"I stands for isolation and tracing under which COVID-19 patients will be isolated and people whom they have met will be traced, identified and will be isolated too. E means essential supplies under which we will ensure door to door delivery of essential services," he added.

"L refers to local sanitisation under which areas will be disinfected on a regular basis.While D stands for door-to-door checking under which we will ask every family whether there is any person having symptoms of coronavirus. If any such person is found, their samples will be taken and further procedure will be followed," Kejriwal said.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had on Wednesday said 20 hotspots have been identified in Delhi in the battle to contain coronavirus. However, the authorities added the Bengali Market in the list of the hotspot.

Kejriwal said that the Delhi government is giving free rations to 71 lakh people in the city.

"Now, we are also providing ration to those who do not have a ration card. We are facing a few problems but we will soon overcome these," he added.

He further said that the Delhi government have made wearing face mask compulsory.

There are 669 cases of coronavirus in the national capital at present, including 426 from the Tablighi Jamaat event that took place in Nizamuddin Markaz last month.

With 591 fresh COVID-19 cases and 20 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, India's total count of coronavirus positive cases on Thursday climbed to 5,865, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

Among the total cases include 5,218 active cases, 478 cured, discharged, and migrated cases and 169 deaths.