Delhi LG Anil Baijal on Saturday rolled back the 5-days mandatory institutional quarantine for all who have tested positive for coronavirus.
In a tweet he informed that only those coronavirus positive patients who do not require hospitalisation for clinical treatment and do not have adequate facility for home isolation will be required to undergo institutional quarantine.
The chief minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday opposed the idea of admission of asymptomatic cases of coronavirus in institutional quarantine. Arvind Kejriwal said that the mandatory hospitalization for even the asymptomatic cases will create chaos in the national capital. He added that such steps will scare people who will be coming out for testing as they will have to face five days of institutional quarantine away from their family.
As per reports, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal chaired a meeting in State Disaster Management Authority(SDMA) where Arvind Kejriwal strongly opposed his order that mandated the admission of even the asymptomatic cases in institutional quarantine for five days nullifying the Delhi government’s previous order that did not allow hospitalization of mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was quoted by news agency ANI as saying that there are only 6,000 beds at quarantine centres and over 10,000 people are on home quarantine in Delhi. If all need to be institutionalised, Delhi does not have enough beds.
As per reports, the LG and CM had a heated face-off during the meeting. The CM suggested that the focus of the government should be on patients with serious symptoms. The Chief Minister cited the shortage of doctors and beds at hospitals and overburdened health workers. Other AAP leaders too expressed concerns that if institutional quarantine is made compulsory, people will hesitate to get themselves tested and lead to further spread of pandemic.
Earlier notice stated that mild and asymptomatic cases do not need hospitalization
The June 6 notice of the Delhi health department stated that Coronavirus patients with mild symptoms and those who are asymptomatic do not need any hospitalization.
The notice issued by the Health and Family welfare department of NCT Delhi had stated, “It has come to notice that many Asymptomatic patients and mild symptoms patients have been admitted in the hospital facilities. Attention is invited to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India as well as this department which clearly states that Asymptomatic and mild symptom cases do not need hospitalization and are either recommended to be kept under self-isolation.
Note: The report has been updated with latest information.
