Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday opposed Lieutenant governor Anil Baijal’s order on a mandatory five-day institutional quarantine for COVID-19 patients under home quarantine in the national capital, according to reports.
CM Kejriwal’s opposition came during a meeting with the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) today afternoon.
“When Indian Council of Medical Research gives the permission of isolation at homes for asymptomatic patients across the country, why should there be separate guidelines for Delhi? Most coronavirus patients are asymptomatic… how will we make arrangements for isolating them?” NDTV quoted CM Kejriwal as saying, according to sources, during the meeting.
He also said that this order if put to action will shift the focus from moderate and serious Coronavirus patients to asymptomatic once or with mild symptoms.
Deputy CM Manish Sisodia tweeted on the matter and said in a series of tweets(in Hindi), “In the DDMA meeting, no consensus was reached on the two matters- the rates of the bed in pvt hospitals, as well as the order of the LG to stop home isolation. There will be another meeting at 5 pm today…”
He further said, “Central government has recommended only 24 per cent beds in private hospitals, while the Delhi government is adamant to give 60 per cent beds on cheaper rates. This is where the talks have failed. This is going to be discussed again in evening.
“The Delhi government opposed LG ‘s yesterday’s order to end home isolation. No decision is taken yet on this matter as well. We will discuss this in the evening again,” Sisodia tweeted.
Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor (LG)Anil Baijal had ordered on Friday that every COVID-19 patient undertaking home isolation needs to undergo a five-day mandatory institutional-quarantine, which the Delhi government called “arbitrary” that will “seriously harm” the national capital which is already facing continuously rising number of coronavirus cases with limited number of beds for patients.
“A five-day institutional quarantine of each case under home quarantine is to be made mandatory and thereafter will be sent for home isolation except in cases where symptoms require further hospitalisation, officers under overall supervision of the District Magistrate.” LG’s order said.
“Mandatory physical verification of each case under home isolation is to be carried out by the Surveillance teams of the District Surveillance,” his order read.
Earlier, the Delhi government while responding to this decision of the Central government said that they have shortage of doctors, medical staff and facilities to set up large quarantine centres.
“Today’s order of the Central government stopping home isolation will discourage people from testing and further spread coronavirus as asymptomatic and mild symptom patients will resist testing and will not be quarantined,” it said.
“Entire manpower of the Delhi government is already stretched. Now, large quarantine centres would need to be made to house thousands of asymptomatic people. Thousands of patients are being treated at home at the moment. After this order, we would immediately need thousands of beds in quarantine centres,” it added.
Delhi government was till now was allowing those COVID-19 patients who are asymptomatic to undertake home quarantine with precautions. Over 8,400 coronavirus patients are in home isolation in the capital city.
At present the city has 53,116 positive cases of Coronavirus. While 27512 are active cases, 23,569 have recovered so far. The fatalities in the capital reached, 2035.