Amit Shah announces series of measures to check COVID-19 spread, ramp up treatment capacity in Delhi

New Delhi: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting in which present and emerging scenario of COVID-19 in Delhi was discussed, Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday 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.

Amit Shah, who chaired a meeting attended by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Lt Governor Anil Baijal and Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, said the central government is committed to check COVID-19 spread in Delhi and keep the national capital safe.

The meeting took several important decisions to ensure the safety of the citizens of Delhi against infection. The national capital has reported third-highest coronavirus cases in the country.

Amit Shah said that view of the scarcity of beds for coronavirus patients in Delhi hospitals, the central government has decided to immediately provide 500 converted rail coaches to Delhi Government which will make 8,000 more beds available in Delhi. The beds will be equipped with facilities required for treatment of COVID-19 patients.

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The minister said a committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of NITI Aayog member VK Paul to ensure the availability of 60 per cent of COVID-19 beds by private hospitals at lower rates and fix the rate of testing and treatment. The committee will submit its report by Monday.

He said house-to-house health surveys will be conducted in containment zones in the national capital to improve contact mapping, and the survey report will be available within a week. For effective monitoring, all residents will be asked to download the Aarogya Setu app on their mobile phones.

The minister said that COVID-19 testing will be doubled within the next two days and tripled after six days to check coronavirus spread in Delhi. Besides the containment zones, the testing facility will be made available in each polling station.

For effective transmission of guidelines and information regarding the disease to clinics and minor hospitals in Delhi, the central government has decided to constitute a committee of senior doctors in AIIMS so that the best practices in the fight against the virus are communicated to the lowest level. A helpline number for telephonic guidance will be set up and given on Monday.

The Home Minister underlined the country's resolve to tackle the pandemic with vigour and said it shares the pain of the families who have lost their dear ones.

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He said the government has decided to issue fresh guidelines regarding the last rites of the deceased which will reduce the waiting time.

Noting that the country is fighting COVID-19 with alertness and cooperation of all under the leadership of the Prime Minister, he said it is sincerely indebted to several NGOs for their "exemplary devotion during this crisis".

"In this effort, the government has decided to enroll the services of Scouts and Guides, NCC, NSS and other voluntary organizations as volunteers with health services," he said. Shah said the central government has also decided to depute five more senior officers to the Delhi government in order to effectively fight the coronavirus.

The minister said that a joint team of doctors of the Health Departments of central and Delhi governments, AIIMS and all three municipal corporations of Delhi will visit all coronavirus hospitals in Delhi and submit a report after inspecting the health infrastructure and preparedness for treatment of COVID-19 patients.

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• #COVID 19
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