Delhi borders reopen tomorrow; hospital beds reserved for city residents

Kejriwal said all precautions listed in the federal guidelines will be enforced in Delhi from Monday.

As part of 'Unlock 1.0', from Monday, restaurants, malls, religious places/places of worship will reopen in Delhi with precautions. However, hotels and banquet halls will continue to remain shut.

Kejriwal said, "In the recent future, we may need to use hotels and banquet halls as hospital space."

Kejriwal urged people to listen to continue following precautionary measures such as wearing face masks, washing hands frequently, and physical distancing norms.

Addressing senior citizens, he said, "Consider that the lockdown has not been lifted for you." Kejriwal asked them to remain in one room at their homes and limit interactions with family members.

"Most fatalities are among senior citizens," he added.

Kejriwal said the government received 7.5 lakh responses on whether Delhi's hospitals should be reserved for its citizens and over 90% suggested reserving the hospital beds until the coronavirus outbreak ends.

The CM also cited a report by a five-member committee of doctors that said Delhi would require 15,000 hospital beds by the June-end. The committee also recommended reserving hospital beds, Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal said, "Delhi government hospitals and central government hospitals each have 10,000 beds. We are reopening borders, but the Delhi government hospitals will remain reserved for the people of Delhi."

Private hospitals will also be reserved. However, central government hospitals and hospitals offering specialized care (oncology, organ transplant, etc.) will be open for patients from all states/union territories across India.