New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday (April 9) announced a comprehensive plan named `SHIELD` to control the spread of coronavirus in the national capital while addressing media here. The Delhi CM said, "We have ordered containment exercise in 21 areas of Delhi where COVID-19 cases have been found. We have SHIELD these areas to control the spread of COVID-19 in the national capital."
Kejriwal explained the SHIELD plan in the following way:
-S stands for sealing of localities, wherein, people from a locality will not go to other areas and vice-versa.
-H means home quarantine i.e. people will remain in their homes only.
-I stands for isolation and tracing under which COVID-19 patients will be isolated and people whom they have met will be traced, identified and will be isolated too.
-E means essential supplies under which we will ensure door to door delivery of essential services.
-L refers to local sanitisation under which areas will be disinfected on a regular basis.
-D stands for door-to-door checking under which we will ask every family whether there is any person having symptoms of coronavirus. If any such person is found, their samples will be taken and further procedure will be followed.
I appeal to all living in the containment areas to cooperate with the Delhi govt's Operation SHIELD. These are strict measures but are necessary to protect you and others from COVID-19. https://t.co/3N2UauewWe
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 9, 2020
Kejriwal said that the Delhi government is giving free rations to 71 lakh people in the city, adding "Now, we are also providing ration to those who do not have a ration card. We are facing a few problems but we will soon overcome these."
He also added that the Delhi government has made wearing face masks compulsory.
Kejriwal also spoke on the incident where two female doctors of Safdarjung Hospital were allegedly assaulted by their neighbour in Gautam Nagar. "I'd like to warn people who misbehave with doctors/nurses that it won't be tolerated. They'll be given strictest punishment," he added.
Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister held a meeting with medical directors, superintendents of Delhi's government and private hospitals, via video-conferencing, to formulate a strategy for COVID-19 patients in the national capital.
We have begun containment of 20 localities in Delhi to protect citizens from COVID-19. Provisions of essential items is being made for people living in these areas. https://t.co/pGUXHxW1kN
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 9, 2020
On Wednesday, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said that 20 hotspots have been identified in Delhi in the battle to contain coronavirus. The authorities today added the Bengali Market in the list of the hotspot.
There are 669 cases of coronavirus in the national capital at present, including 426 from the Tablighi Jamaat event that took place in Nizamuddin Markaz last month.
With 591 fresh COVID-19 cases and 20 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, India`s total count of coronavirus positive cases today climbed to 5,865, according to Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
