After backlash, Delhi L-G withdraws 5-day mandatory institutional quarantine order
What's the story
Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has withdrawn a controversial order mandating a five-day institutional quarantine for COVID-19 patients. The order had been issued on Friday, drawing criticism from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi. Critics had said that making patients undergo a five-day institutional quarantine would worsen the already-stressed health infrastructure in the national capital. Here are more details.
Details
Delhi L-G withdrew order after DDMA meeting
The Delhi L-G withdrew the order on Saturday after a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). Announcing the order's revocation, he tweeted saying, "Regarding institutional isolation, only those COVID positive cases which do not require hospitalization on clinical assessment and do not have adequate facilities for home isolation would be required to undergo institutional isolation."
Twitter Post
You can view the tweet here
Regarding institutional isolation, only those COVID positive cases which do not require hospitalisation on clinical assessment do not have adequate facilities for home isolation would be required to undergo institutional isolation.
— LG Delhi (@LtGovDelhi) June 20, 2020
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L-G's apprehensions on home isolation were resolved: Deputy CM
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who has taken charge of Delhi's Health Ministry after Satyendar Jain tested positive, tweeted, "The L-G's apprehensions on home isolation were resolved in the SDMA meeting. The option of home isolation will continue." Referring to the service of counseling patients at home—which had also been halted—Sisodia wrote, "This facility will remain available till Monday and alternatives will be discussed."
Twitter Post
You can view Manish Sisodia's tweet here
होम आइसोलेशन रोकने के बाद एलजी साहब ने अपने कल के आदेश में घर पर मरीज़ों को काउन्सलिंग देने वाली कम्पनी का काम भी रोक दिया था. अभी यह सुविधा सोमवार तक जारी रहेगी और इसके अन्य विकल्पों पर हेल्थ डिपार्टमेंट की तैयारियों के साथ सोमवार को पुनः चर्चा होगी.
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) June 20, 2020
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Information
COVID-19 treatment at private hospitals at subsidized rates approved
In another tweet, Baijal said the DDMA has also approved the recommendations of a high-level Expert Committee for fixing subsidized rates for COVID-19 treatment in private hospitals across Delhi. 100% of beds in Delhi will be made available at lower prices, Sisodia added.
Criticism
Why did the Delhi government oppose the order?
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had questioned why a separate rule had been issued for Delhi when patients with mild/no symptoms could be isolated at home as per the ICMR's guidelines. Kejriwal reportedly said, "Most COVID-19 patients are asymptomatic or with mild symptoms. How will arrangements be made for them? The coaches provided by the Railways for isolation are hot inside where patients cannot stay."
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Without home-isolation, Delhi would've required 1 lakh beds by June-end
The Delhi government had said that if all patients are required to undergo institutional quarantine, the city would require one lakh hospital beds by the end of June. Delhi is projected to have one lakh COVID-19 cases by June-end.
Other issues
People feared getting tested with mandatory institutional quarantine: AAP MLA
Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh had slammed the Friday order saying, "One rule for Delhi and another for rest of the country." He had asked, "Where will the person be kept, in railway coaches?" AAP MLA Raghav Chadha had said, "People in my assembly called me and told me that we will not get tested now. People are that scared."
Information
Delhi's COVID cases rise; cross 50,000-mark
Till Friday, Delhi had reported 53,116 COVID-19 cases, including 23,569 recoveries and 2,035 deaths. The number of infections in the national capital has been spiking of late, raising worries of its health infrastructure's capacity to handle the patient load.