Kejriwal seeks Delhiites' views on how to ease curbs; 13 more coronavirus deaths, over 7,600 cases
According to a health bulletin, with 406 fresh instances, the total number of coronavirus cases reached 7,639 while the death toll has risen to 86.
In the bulletin, the Delhi health department, however, carried a footnote that certain figures mentioned in it, including death toll, were subject to change on receipt of additional information.
A 31-year-old Army jawan suffering from coronavirus was found hanging from a tree in the premises of an Army hospital here, police said.
An IPS officer with the Delhi Police has also tested positive for coronavirus. On a positive note, an 88-year-old man from Himachal Pradesh who had worked with the IAF has now fully recovered after successfully battling coronavirus infection at a city hospital here.
Seeking suggestions from people to ease the curbs, Kejriwal said people can send their views by calling toll-free number 1031 or through WhatsApp number 8800007722, or by sending an e-mail to delhicm.suggestions@gmail.com by 5 pm Wednesday.
Sources said the Delhi government received around three lakh messages on WhatsApp within seven hours as well as 25,000 recorded messages on the 1,031 helpline and 5,000 e-mails.
"On one hand, we will have to save ourselves from coronavirus. But on other, we will also have to maintain the health of the economy," Kejriwal told an online media briefing.
Earlier this month, he had said people will have to be ready to live with coronavirus.
"I seek suggestions from the people of Delhi. Obviously, lockdown cannot be lifted completely from the city given the spike in cases of COVID-19," he said.
The chief minister said his government will send a proposal on lockdown relaxations for Delhi to the Centre on Thursday after discussing the suggestions with experts and doctors.
"I want to ask whether there should be relaxation in lockdown (post May 17). How much relaxation should be given and in which areas?" the chief minister sought to know from Delhiites.
He also asked whether buses, metro, taxis and auto-rickshaw should now be allowed to operate in Delhi and if schools, markets and industrial areas should be opened after May 17, when the lockdown 3.0 ends.
Barring COVID containment zones, economic activities should be allowed to resume in the national capital, Kejriwal had told Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a meeting with chief ministers.
During the media briefing on Tuesday, he said the central government has asked all states to submit by May 15 their proposal on lockdown relaxations.
The Delhi government has already demanded from the Centre that all 11 districts of the city not be treated as ''red zones'' so that more economic activities are allowed, the sources said.
They said the city government wants that ''red zones'' in Delhi to be identified as per municipal wards instead of districts, they said.
Recently, the Union Health Ministry classified the entire national capital, which has 11 districts, as a red zone. The city has 272 wards.
Meanwhile, as the Raiways resumed its passenger service after over 50 days, three trains departed from the national capital to Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh), Dibrugarh (Assam) and Bengaluru carrying people who have been stranded since the lockdown came into force.
Five other trains bound for Delhi left from Patna, Bengaluru, Howrah, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, they added.
The Delhi government on Tuesday issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for screening of passengers arriving here from outside in special trains.
In an order, the health department said that only asymptomatic persons coming to the national capital would be allowed to go home after ascertaining that they are asymptomatic.
For passengers found symptomatic, standard protocol for testing and quarantine shall be followed, it said.
Hundreds of passengers gathered at the New Delhi Railway Station with mixed feelings of relief and apprehension, with many arriving before the scheduled train departure.
The Chelmsford Road leading to the New Delhi Railway Station was heavily barricaded by police, as those who had to catch the trains walked with their luggage or hired rickshaws.
The entrance of the railway station was also barricaded by police.
People gathered outside as policemen queued up the passengers to different destinations.
Announcements were made to maintain social distancing as people packed the road outside the railway station.
Swami H B, employed with a bakery in Gurgaon, reached the station hours before the departure of his train to Bengaluru at 9.15 pm.
"I came early as I had to commute from Gurgaon and also because I cannot afford to miss the train," he said.
He said he was apprehensive of his journey forward from Bengaluru to his hometown Chikmagalur. BUN NIT VIT KND AMP ASG PR RTRT