Delhi-NCR Covid-19 unlock news live: Vaccination for 18+ halted in city

Delhi government has clarified that, while liquor vends were allowed to open as part of the gradual unlock process, the restrictions on reopening of bars remain. An order issued by the office of the commissioner excise, Delhi government, on Monday stated that directions for opening of liquor vends and bounded warehouses were issued through an order on June 6. The fresh order makes two clarifications in pursuance of Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) order issued on June13. “All liquor shops/vends in malls, market complexes and markets (outside containment zone) are allowed to operate between 10am and 8pm,” the order stated, adding that, “Bars in the hotels, clubs and restaurants are not allowed to operate till further orders.” The order has been signed by Ajay Kumar Gambhir, assistant commissioner (Excise).

The footfall in the city’s retail markets largely remained low on Tuesday, the second day of full-scale unlocking of markets, because of the heat; but traders reported some increase in the count in the evening. Wholesale markets and popular places like Sarojini Nagar continue to be on the path of recovery. Traders’ associations say the recovery rate is much better than that of last year’s unlock period. Ashok Randhawa of the Sarojini Nagar market traders’ association said, “On Monday we had around 25% of the normal footfall while it has increased by 10% on the second day. Pleasant weather in early morning and evening hours helped a lot.” The association had earlier urged the authorities to extend the evening curfew timings. Randhawa sought more civil defence volunteers.

Almost two months after it closed down its OPD services, AIIMS-Delhi has decided to resume the operations latest by June18, in a phased manner. Heads of departments of all clinical departments have been requested to provide a proposed number of new and follow-up OPD patients per day who are to be given online/telephonic appointments, according to an order issued by the AIIMS medical superintendent on Tuesday. As of now, OPD registration will be done only for patients having prior online/telephonic appointments.

Delhi recorded 228 new cases of Covid-19 at a positivity rate of 0.32% along with 12 fatalities on Tuesday. The new cases and positivity rate have seen a slight increase from the previous day’s figures. The national capital had recorded 131 Covid-19 cases, the lowest since February 22, and 16 fatalities on Monday, while the positivity rate dropped to 0.22%, according to a health department bulletin. The total number of tests conducted in the last 24 hours stood at 71,291. The cumulative case tally stands at 14,31,498, while the total number of fatalities stand at 24,851. “New cases have declined significantly. But we are flooded with queries from recovered patients about new onset of diabetes, raised levels of cholesterol and extreme weakness among others,” a senior doctor at Max Saket said. At Lok Nayak hospital, one of the largest public hospitals designated for Covid management in Delhi, the officials said only about 195 out of 2000 beds were occupied. “Majority of the admitted patients are those with severe complications for weeks. Some of them are on ventilator support,” the official added.

A Covid helpline started by Aam Aadmi Party MLA Raghav Chadha for his Rajendra Nagar assembly constituency has grown into a state-wide helpline with 40 volunteers managing the calls. The helpline team claims to have assisted more than 15,000 patients to get hospital admissions and to secure oxygen, medicines and counselling. Overall, over one lakh people benefited from the helpline, Chadha claimed. Chadha said that the mandate of the helpline team was to rescue helpless and clueless families and patients, from arranging beds in hospitals for them to calling ambulances, facilitating refilling of oxygen cylinders and the doorstep delivery of ration, food and medicines.

The Covid-19 vaccination drive for the 18-44 years old has been hit again in Delhi, with half of the centres for them being closed from Tuesday while the rest to be shut from Wednesday. Only 31,000 vaccine doses — less than one day’s stock — are left for this group, slowing down the drive again, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Atishi said in a press conference. She appealed to the Centre to provide the required vaccines. The vaccination of the 18-44 years age group resumed at the government centres on June 9 after remaining suspended for 15 days. So far, 61.5 lakh people have been vaccinated in Delhi, out of which 46.87 lakh have got the first dose and 14.63 lakh both doses. In Delhi, 60,734 people received the jab on Monday. The count was less than usual due to the low vaccine stock, said a source.