New Delhi, Apr 21 () With 75 new cases, the total number of COVID-19 infections reached 2,156 in the national capital on Tuesday, though no fresh death was reported after a gap of nearly a fortnight, according to the the Delhi Health department.
Addressing an online briefing, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said there are 1,603 active cases of COVID-19 in Delhi and 47 people have died of coronavirus.
It was the first time since April 8 that no fresh death due to coronavirus was reported.
After 53 journalists tested positive for COVID-19 in Mumbai, Kejriwal said his government would also arrange for testing of media personnel in the national capital.
Journalists are also at the front-line in the battle against COVID-19, he added.
"We have set up a centre. All media houses and journalists will be informed about it. Interested media persons can undergo tests at the centre from Wednesday morning," Kejriwal said.
At the Rashtrapati Bhavan, a kin of an employee, working in the housekeeping department, was detected with the COVID-19 disease prompting authorities to keep 115 families under "self-isolation" as a "preventive measure".
A housekeeper working with the Lok Sabha Secretariat also tested positive for COVID-19 and was admitted to hospital, sources said here.
The infected man had not attended office for the last few days. He had symptoms of fever, cough and breathing problems and was found to be COVID-19 positive, they added.
Eleven members of his family have been tested for the virus and the results are awaited. The sources said that his son, who was also tested, is a contractual employee of the Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) and is engaged in the annual maintenance of security gadgets at the Lok Sabha.
"The Lok Sabha Secretariat is expected to do contact tracing and route mapping of his son also," he said.
Talking to reporters, Heath Minister Satyendra Jain said authorities are keeping a watch on the doubling rate of the cases.
"Cases are increasing, but lockdown has helped in slowing down the rate. The number of cases doubled from 1,000 to 2,000 in eight days. So, we are keeping an eye on its next doubling now. But keeping all measures in place," Jain told reporters.
On Monday, nearly 70 COVID-19 tests using newly-acquired rapid antibodies diagnostic kits were conducted in Delhi in a containment zone in Nabi Karim area, and all samples came out negative, officials said.
Also, a death audit committee has been constituted for daily audit of every fatality from COVID-19, they said.
To ensure that the poor do not go without food during the lockdown, Kejriwal said the Delhi government will give 2,000 food coupons to every MLA and MP in the city for distribution among the needy in their constituencies.
The chief minister said his government has also decided to provide free-ration to around 30 lakh people who do not have ration cards, emphasising that there are currently 71 lakh beneficiaries of public distribution system and they are being provided free-ration by the government.
The government will also distribute kits of daily-use items such as soap, oil, sugar, turmeric and salt along with ration for the month of May, he said, adding that it will start the exercise from April 27 or April 28 onwards.
"The Delhi government has prepared a plan of food security for the needy. We will provide free-ration to around one crore people and it means we will be providing ration to half the population of Delhi," Kejriwal said.
Earlier in the day, Lieutenant General Anil Baijal held a high-level meeting, which was attended by Kejriwal.
An official statement said Baijal directed district magistrates (DMs) and deputy commissioners of police (DCPs) to ensure effective compliance of social distancing and strict vigil at vulnerable places like agricultural markets, night shelters, food distribution centres, all shops of essentials items, mother dairy and medical shops.
"The lieutenant governor also directed for regular disinfection and cleanliness of the containment zones on war footing. DMs and DCPs were directed to ensure that supply of essentials is maintained in the containment zones," an official statement stated.
Later, he also took stock of the lockdown implementation in the national capital and visited temporary shelters for migrant workers and the homeless to review arrangements. BUN KND SKC PR RT