Civic bodies of Delhi buckle up to tackle COVID-19

From setting up isolation wards in hospitals, conducting awareness activities in schools, sensitising resident welfare associations and forming rapid response teams, the civic bodies in Delhi are leaving no stone unturned in their preparedness for tackling coronavirus.

North Delhi Mayor Avtar Singh said on Thursday that an isolation ward containing 14 beds has been set up at NDMC-run Bara Hindurao Hospital for coronavirus patients.

He said nodal officers have been deputed at Hindurao and Kasturba Hospital to report on such cases.

A core team has been formed to review the situation, he said.

"A 14-bed isolation ward has been set up at Bara Hindurao hospital. A total of 3,000 N 95 masks have been distributed in the hospital. At zonal levels, deputy health officers have been deputed as nodal officers," the mayor said.

Singh appealed to people to refrain from shaking hands and hugging others and instead greet each other with folded hands.

The traditional Holi function scheduled to be held at mayor's residence on March 7 has been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak, he said.

The hotels under North Delhi Municipal Corporation area have been directed to report arrival of foreigners, he added.

Meanwhile, the New Delhi Municipal Council is conducting Information Education Communication (IEC) activities in schools and sensitising office bearers of resident welfare associations (RWAs) about the disease.

"Considering that Lutyens' Delhi is a VVIP zone with several embassies and foreign tourists visiting Connaught Place in large numbers, we have put up posters to sensitise people and are issuing advisories detailing the do's and dont's," a senior NDMC official said.

"All our guest houses and hotels in the area have been asked to report about each guest coming from coronavirus-affected countries so that screening can be done to check if anybody needs to be quarantined as a precautionary measure," he said.

The civic body has also formed two rapid response teams for screening of residents who had visited coronavirus-affected countries after January 15. It has already screened 56 houses in this regard.

The NDMC has asked all hotels and guest houses in the area to send reports regarding guests coming from coronavirus-affected countries or any person showing symptoms of fever or flu.

The move comes after a Delhi resident who had tested positive for COVID-19 dined at Hotel Hyatt here.