Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that a decision has been taken to increase the fine for not wearing a mask in public from ₹500 to ₹2,000 to help control the spread of COVID-19 in the Capital as many people have been become careless about wearing a mask.
He requested people to celebrate Chhath Puja on November 20 at home instead of venturing into ponds to protect themselves from the virus. “According to experts if 200 people enter a pond and even if one person is infected with the virus then all those who are in the water will 100% get the virus,” Mr. Kejriwal said. He added that the government is not against the celebration of Chhath Puja but was taking measures to ensure the safety of people.
Private hospitals
Mr. Kejriwal also announced measures for private hospitals to effectively manage the peak of Corona cases in the Capital. All private hospitals have been asked to reserve 80% of ICU beds for COVID-19 patients and 60% of non-ICU beds for COVID-19 patients as well. Private hospitals have been asked to defer all non-critical planned surgeries for a few days until the peak of cases passes, Mr. Kejriwal added.
Commenting on an all-party meet that was held on Thursday morning, Mr. Kejriwal said that he took suggestions from all parties and would work on implement them. “Delhi is going through a tough phase. This is not the time to play politics and issue statements against political parties but to work together and serve,” he said appealing to all political parties and social organisations in the city to ensure that people wear masks as this is the best way to protect oneself against the virus.
He also thanked doctors and all health care workers for working to ensure that there are less deaths in the Capital and said that compared to other major cities across the world that saw a peak in cases, Delhi was handling the situation much better.