Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said efforts are on to check and screen 88 people who came in contact with the Delhi man who tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).
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A state-level taskforce headed by him has been formed to tackle the situation emerging from the coronavirus infection and there is no need to panic, he said told a press conference.
The chief minister said the taskforce will comprise all stakeholders concerned, adding that that the AAP government has taken various measures to contain the outbreak of the virus.
“We have one confirmed case in Delhi till now and the patient has been admitted to Safdarjung Hospital. He is a resident of Mayur Vihar, who had travelled first from Italy to Budapest and then from Vienna to Delhi.
“We have identified 88 people who he came in contact with after coming back to India. We are trying to conduct screening on all those 88 identified people,” he said.
“We are concerned about situation but no need to panic. We are doing whatever we can to control the coronavirus from spreading... members of all the important departments in Delhi, state officials, and police officials have been included in the task force,” he said.
A coronavirus testing lab will be set up at the Lady Hardinge Hospital and also at the LNJP Hospital if necessary, Mr. Kejriwal said.
He also said that there is no shortage of masks.
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Municipal corporations in Delhi are contacting and screening tourists from four countries where most cases of the infection have come to light. The screening is being done at hotels and guesthouses in the city, he said.
Isolation wards in 19 government and six private hospitals are being readied in case of need, Mr. Kejriwal stated.
He said that thermal scanning of all the passengers landing from abroad is being conducted on the airports and referring them to RML hospital in case any symptoms are observed.
Until now, 1,16,579 patients have been screened at the airport.
“The government has developed the capacity to handle an influx of patients in around 19 Delhi government hospitals and six private hospitals... Isolation beds and isolation wards are being created to provide adequate treatment,” the chief minister said.
He said that school children also need to be made aware of coronavirus and steps to prevent the disease from spreading.
“A meeting was also held with the education department where the need to spread awareness regarding coronavirus was necessitated. The state-level task force will meet at regular intervals to discuss the responsibilities of various departments and the work undertaken,” he said.
Asked about alleged blackmarketing of masks and hand sanitizers in wake of coronavirus, Mr. Kejriwal said his government will look into this and take all necessary steps to prevent it.
Mr. Kejriwal said he hoped the people of Delhi would support the government to control the outbreak of the disease just as the AAP dispensation was able to control dengue.
“The passengers who had come from Italy were staying in Surya hotel, but we have also traced and identified the people who had come in contact with those passengers and they have been kept in isolation,” he said.
Around 13-14 rooms of the hotel have been sealed to ensure that they are properly sanitized before putting into use, he said.
“The same steps have been taken in the Grand Hotel, where they stayed afterward. The passengers are currently in Chhawla ITBP camp and we are preparing to transfer them to Safdarjung Hospital for treatment as they have been found positive.” he said.