New Delhi:
Schools in the national capital will remain closed for all classes till further orders due to the rise in COVID-19 cases, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Friday. The national capital reported 8,521 new COVID-19 cases and 39 deaths on Friday. This is the second highest single-day spike since pandemic began. On November 11, Delhi had reported 8,593 cases, the highest till date for the city.
Total cases rise to 7,06,526, death toll stands at 11,196
“Due to rising cases of COVID-19, schools in Delhi will remain closed for all classes till further orders,” Kejriwal tweeted.
The Delhi government had last week announced that students of any classes will not be called to school in the new academic session.
However, class 10 and class 12 students who are due to appear in board exams in May-June were going to school with consent of their parents.
Delhi had recorded 7,437 COVID-19 cases Thursday, the highest single-day surge this year, while 24 more people had died due to the coronavirus infection, taking the death toll to 11,157.
–Kejriwal meets chairman of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital after 37 docs test COVID-19 positive-
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday met the head of the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in the wake of 37 of its doctors testing positive for COVID-19 since the recent surge in coronavirus cases, officials said.
Kejriwal met Dr D S Rana, the chairman of the board of management of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, at his residence and enquired about the health of the infected doctors.
Rajendra Nagar MLA Raghav Chaddha was also present at the meeting.
“While serving covid patients at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, 37 doctors have tested positive for COVID-19. A majority of these corona warriors have mild symptoms. Thirty-two doctors are in home isolation and the rest are admitted in the hospital,” a hospital source had said on Thursday.
Sir Ganga Ram Hospital has been among the facilities, which have been at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic for nearly a year.
In a statement issued by the Delhi government, Kejriwal was quoted as saying, “Our doctors have been at the forefront of fighting coronavirus. I pray for the swift recovery of all the doctors who have tested positive. The hospital can reach out to the Delhi government at any point, if and when required, and we will provide them with all the help possible.”
During the meeting, the chief minister was apprised that most of the 37 doctors who have tested positive are asymptomatic and have been recommended home isolation.
The five who have exhibited serious symptoms have been admitted to the hospital and are being taken care of, the statement said.
Kejriwal also expressed serious concern over the spike in coronavirus cases in the national capital in the last few days.
-Rajiv Gandhi hospital suspends non-COVID services, earmarked only for coronavirus patients again-
Delhi government-run Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGGSH) has been again converted into a dedicated COVID-19 facility amid a massive surge in coronavirus cases in the national capital, officials said on Friday.
All non-COVID services have been suspended till further orders, they said.
RGSSH is a 650-bed facility in east Delhi and had played a critical role in combatting the pandemic in the city last year, when the national capital had witnessed its three waves of the spread of the virus, the last one being in November.
“We have suspended all non-COVID services as the hospital is now a dedicated COVID facility. The decision was taken late on Wednesday seeing the massive surge in cases. As of now, 200 patients are admitted,” Medical Director, RGSSH, Dr B L Sherwal said.
He said all the 200 patients are in serious condition and the same treatment protocol was being followed as was done last year.
“This surge is massive and people really need to be careful and follow all COVID safety measures. We had zero patients on March 5, and now 200. That too in the last few weeks. Most of the patients are elderly,” Sherwal said.
The younger population is also getting affected but many of them are in home isolation.
Sherwal added that a nurse and a police personnel, who were on vaccination duty at the hospital, have been tested positive for coronavirus, and are under home isolation.
The 650-bed RGSSH was declared a coronavirus facility when the pandemic began last year and in early January was converted into a partially operating COVID-19 hospital.
Recently, the Delhi government had issued an order to reserve 500 beds at this facility for COVID-19 patients.
