Healthcare workers take a break at the CWG Quarantine centre in New Delhi on Tuesday. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)Delhi live news: Delhi on Tuesday reported 21,259 fresh Covid-19 cases and 23 deaths, as the positivity rate also climbed to 25.65 per cent. With the fresh cases and fatalities, the cumulative numbers of infections has risen to 15,90,155 and the death toll to 25,200. A total of 19,166 cases and 17 deaths were recorded in the national capital on Monday.
The Delhi government on Tuesday directed closure of all private offices, except those in exempted categories, amid rising number of Covid-19 cases. The private offices, which were till now operating with 50 per cent work force, have been asked to follow the practice of work from home. An order issued by Delhi Disaster Management Authority also directed for closing of restaurants and bars in the city. However, restaurants have been allowed home delivery and take away food items. Government offices in the city are also currently working with 50 percent attendance.
Delhi has not reported any case of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus for two days now, maintaining a tally of 513 infections so far, data by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare showed on Monday.
In weather news, the capital today witnessed a foggy morning with 100m visibility recorded. Rains have finally stopped in Delhi with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting a drop in minimum temperature later this week.
Salil Tripathi (38) worked as a manager at Ricos in Hudson Lane and had taken on the Zomato job to earn extra, said his family.
Delhi logged 21,259 new Covid-19 cases at a positivity of 25.65 per cent and 23 deaths.
Of the 136 Covid patients at the LNJP Hospital at present, 130 had come for treatment of other problems and tested positive at the time of admission, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Tuesday. After reviewing the situation at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital, he said only six patients had come to the health facility for treatment of Covid, and added that the third wave of the pandemic is "very mild" as compared to the deadly wave in April last year.
"During the last wave, a large number of people had been hospitalised for treatment of Covid. This number is very low this time. Around 2,000 Covid patients are undergoing treatment at hospitals. I believe the number of people who have come for treatment of coronavirus only is very low," Kejriwal told reporters. "Though the number of cases has been rising, the number of hospitalisations has remained very low so far. The number of deaths is also less. But we are prepared for any eventuality," he said.
According to government data, 70 Covid patients died in the national capital in the first 10 days of January. It reported 17 fatalities each on Sunday and Monday. It recorded 54 fatalities in the last five months -- nine in December, seven in November, four in October, five in September and 29 in August. In July, the virus had claimed 76 lives in the capital. (PTI)
The prosecution on Tuesday opposed the bail plea of former JNU student Umar Khalid in a UAPA case connected to the northeast Delhi riots arguing that the ultimate idea of the riot conspiracy was to “overawe the Government and bring it to its knees.”
Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Amit Prasad made the argument before Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat.
The SPP said that the riots were “clearly a criminal conspiracy carried out in secrecy. There is a continuation after the crime and clear attempt to cover up.” Prasad told the court that “conspiracy has to be proved taking into account circumstantial evidence” and that the riots were not a “spontaneous burst of violence.” Read More
Nearly two years after the death of 23-year-old Faizan, who was seen in a video lying injured on the ground as security personnel forced him to sing Vande Mataram and the national anthem during the Delhi riots, the Delhi Police told the High Court that it has identified and questioned a head constable. However, the police told the court that Head Constable Ravinder has refused to admit to the alleged offence and also not disclosed the identity of other cops who were present at the spot.
Questioning the delay in probing the case, Justice Mukta Gupta asked, "Two years have passed, you have been able to just identify?" The court also asked whether CCTV footage of relevant period of Jyoti Nagar Police station was preserved.
The police submitted that the CCTV camera of the police station was not functional then.
The Delhi HC sought detailed status report on the investigation done so far from the DCP and asked him to remain present along with the concerned IO on the next date of hearing. The case will be next heard on February 22. (ENS)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday visited the LNJP hospital to review the Covid-19 management. "About 136 patients admitted are here, of which six came with positive and the remaining were tested positive incidentally. We are ready completely to fight corona..if there will be a requirement, 36000 beds and 11000 ICU/Oxygen beds will be provided," the CM said at the hospital.
The CM has appealed to the Centre to impose restrictions in the NCR region.
"During the DDMA meeting, we requested the central government to implement covid restrictions in NCR region. There will be no lockdown in Delhi. We also don't want impose restrictions in the city but it is done for the safety of public only. All these restrictions will be lifted as soon the cases reduce in Delhi," Kejriwal further added.
As Covid cases are rapidly rising across the national capital, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has set up an NDMC Staff Welfare Cell for providing treatment and all necessary assistance to Covid-positive officials and staff members.
Director of Welfare Department, Parag K Singh, has been appointed as the Nodal Officer of the cell which will have nine members. The cell was first set up in April last year during the second wave of the pandemic. Read more
Health services in all government hospitals across Haryana have been hit as doctors across the state went on mass leave Tuesday demanding a resolution to issues raised by them regarding the medical policy.
Creating a specialist cadre for doctors, stopping the direct recruitment of senior medical officers (SMOs) and amending the post-graduate policy are the three key demands of the doctors.
While emergency services continue to function, outpatient departments (OPDs) and the ongoing Covid-19 vaccination drive across all 22 districts are affected. Read more
The Delhi government will start online yoga classes for Covid-19 patients in isolation, from Wednesday. "The speed of spread of Covid cases in Delhi has slowed over the past few days. I hope this trend continues. We are starting a new programe for patients under home isolation,' Arvind Kejriwal said on Tuesday.
The CM added, "Yoga and pranayam help improve the body's immunity and strength. We are starting online classes for these people. Special instructors are being trained for Yoga asanas that will help Covid patients.'
"Patients under home isolation will be sent a link, they can register based on a time of their choosing. there will be 8 hour-long classes per day. people can choose as per their convenience. there will be only 15 people per class. in a day, 40,000 people can do Yoga," the CM added.
Of the 46 people who died of Covid-19 between January 5 and January 9, 25 were above the age of 60 years, 34 had co-morbid conditions, while 21 tested positive after being admitted to hospital for some other ailment.
Only 11 were vaccinated.
According to officials, among those who died were also people who had been injured in accidents, or children born with congenital issues, who happened to test positive for Covid as well. Read more
All private offices to be shut in Delhi, work from home mandatory. Exemption exists for a few sections. Here are the exemptions-
A total of 19,166 cases were recorded in the national capital on Monday as compared to 22,751 a day ago, primarily because the number of tests dipped from nearly 1 lakh to just over 76,000. Also on Monday, one in four persons tested in Delhi was found to be positive for Covid.
Delhi’s first CNG-based cremation centre for dogs and small animals being built in Dwarka Sector 29 would be operational by April.
Leader of house of South Delhi Municipal Corporation Inderjeet Sehrawat said that the cremation centre located in Dwarka Sector-29 will be a fully CNG-based crematorium as 2 CNG-based pyres will be installed in it. It will take a maximum of 30 minutes to burn dead small animals of upto 30 kilograms. Since, it will be a CNG-based crematorium, it will be an environment friendly, he said. Read more