Union Home Secretary reviews COVID-19 situation in Delhi as cases surge

Amid surge in number of COVID-19 infections in national capital, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla reviewed situation of COVID-19 in a meeting which was attended by Dr V.K. Paul, Member of NITI Aayog, ICMR and Union Health Ministry officials, Delhi Police Commissioner and or senior officers of Delhi government. 

Delhi government officials me a presentation on COVID-19 situation in Delhi that is witnessing third surge in COVID-19 cases. Delhi government contended that recent surge is due to festive season which has witnessed a greater movement of people. government said it is focusing on testing, contact tracing and treatment as new COVID cases and total active cases have been increasing.

Surge in cases attributed to festive season: Delhi Government

An official statement detailing discussions of meeting said that a strategy to contain spre of COVID-19 in Delhi, especially keeping in view festival season and decreasing temperatures accompanied by rising pollution was discussed at length with representatives of Union Health Ministry and health experts who were present in meeting. 

"It was decided to concentrate efforts in certain key areas, such as targeted RT-PCR testing in sensitive and critical zones such as restaurants, market places, barbershops/salons, etc; gear up availability of medical resources including beds, ICUs, and ventilators as a pre-emptive measure; ensure a high degree of contact tracing and monitoring of quarantined contacts, so as to suppress and break chain of transmission," statement said.

"It was also decided to enhance enforcement selectively, accompanied by greater awareness creation through targeted IEC (Information, Education and Communication) campaigns; and ensuring that all cases under home isolation were monitored and shifted to hospitals well in time, before any deterioration in ir medical condition. It was also emphasized that Metro travel should be carefully regulated, strictly in accordance with Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that has been issued in this regard," it ded.

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Home Secretary appreciated efforts of Delhi government while ding that strategies for containment of spre of COVID-19 in Delhi should be strictly enforced and implemented. "He stressed need for reaching out to residents of Delhi to sensitize m about safe COVID behaviour through RWAs, Mohalla and Market Committees, public anuncement systems, mess on police vehicles,"  statement said while concluding that situation will be reviewed again in coming weeks.

meeting comes in backdrop of surge in COVID-19 as over 5,000 cases have been recorded for five consecutive days till vember 1 in Delhi, taking positivity rate to nearly 13%, according to news ncy PTI. Currently, Delhi's COVID-19 count has increased to 3,92,370 of which 34,173 are active and 6562 have died while national capital has reported 3,51,635 recoveries.

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