Amid exponential rise in number of COVID-19 cases in Delhi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday that testing would be ramped up in the next two days and polling booths would be used to test patients in containment zones. A house-to-house survey in containment zones was also planned.
As on Saturday, there are 241 containment zones in Delhi, and more than 1,000 deaths due to the infection have been reported so far.
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Mr. Shah met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, and Union Health Minister Harshvardhan on Sunday to discuss the COVID-19 strategy in Delhi.
Soon after the meeting , Mr. Shah posted a series of tweets about the outcome.
“To contain COVID-19 in Delhi, testing to increase two-fold in the next two days and will be further increased three times after six days. Also after a few days, testing will start at every polling station in containment zones,” Mr. Shah tweeted.
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Telephonic guidance
He said to provide correct information and guidelines to small hospitals in Delhi, the Modi government had decided to constitute a committee of senior doctors for telephonic guidance in the AIIMS and a helpline number would be released on Monday.
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“A committee has been formed under chairmanship of Dr. V.K Paul (of Niti Aayog) to provide 60% of dedicated COVID-19 beds in private hospitals at a low rate, the committee will submit its report tomorrow on private hospitals...Centre has assured the Delhi government of all necessary resources such as oxygen cylinders, ventilators, pulse oximeters to fight COVID-19,” he said.
He added that a comprehensive health survey would be done after visiting each household in containment zones and the report would be submitted in a week. “For effective monitoring, each person will be made to download Aarogya Setu App.”
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MHA spokesperson tweeted that in compliance with orders of Home Minister Amit Shah, the Union Health Ministry has directed that "bodies of suspected #COVID19 cases in Delhi be handed over to relatives immediately without waiting for laboratory confirmation; bodies to be treated with precaution as per Health Min guidelines dated 15.3.2020."
The tweet said that AIIMS Delhi has also set up a 24/7 COVID-19 helpline number - 9115444155 where "callers can take OPD appointments, talk to volunteers while doctors can talk to Consultants."