Delhi CM asks experts to audit coronavirus death cases at DDMA meeting

NEW DELHI:  Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday requested experts to audit Covid- 19 death cases and suggest measures to reduce fatalities in the national capital, amid a spurt in the infections in the city. The Chief Minister made the request at a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority, which is chaired by L-G Baijal.

“At the meeting, the chief minister asked experts to audit death cases and suggest measures which could reduce deaths in the national capital,” a source said. This comes against the backdrop of Delhi’s three BJP-led municipal corporations alleging inconsistencies in the official death count visa- vis the number of deaths projected by funerals at the crematoria and burial grounds here.

According to Delhi government data, the total number of Covid-19 deaths as on November 23 was 8,512, while the civic bodies claimed to have carried out 10,318 funerals. On Tuesday, the national capital recorded over 100 COVID-19 deaths for the fifth consecutive day, and the death rate stood at 1.89 per cent. A total of 109 fatalities were recorded on Tuesday, as against 121 on Monday.

This is the seventh time in the last 13 days that the daily number of deaths has crossed the 100-mark. Authorities reported 121 deaths on Monday, 121 on Sunday, 111 on Saturday, 118 on Friday, 131 on November 18, the highest till date, and 104 fatalities on November 12.