The Delhi Government on Friday launched a COVID-19 helpline to provide updated information on the coronavirus even as both the number of new cases and the number of deaths due to it registered an increase.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the number of COVID-19 positive cases in Delhi stood at 384, of which 58 patients had a history of foreign travel, 259 patients were from the Tablighi Jamaat Markaz event, and 38 cases were from local transmission through foreign travel patients.
“The figure for cases that have arisen through local contact and transmission is constant and stable, which gives us hope that there is no spreading of the coronavirus in Delhi,” he sought to assure citizens through a digital press conference.
Delhi has, Mr. Kejriwal said, reported a total of five deaths, with one new death of a patient who was taken out of the Markaz, which has been reported in the last 24 hours. “I am holding regular meetings with the Health Department and the doctors. God forbid, if there is an outbreak of the coronavirus, we are fully prepared to handle the situation,” he said.
Mr. Kejriwal said the government had taken several measures to provide relief to the marginalised sections, who have been affected by the lockdown the most, which included the provision of 7.5 kg of ration to 72 lakh people. “We have also devised a scheme to provide ration to those who do not have ration cards, and in a few days, we will start providing ration to them,” he said.
As many as 1,780 centres were providing food to the needy, he said. On Thursday, according to Mr. Kejriwal, the centres had provided lunch for 6,52,850 people and dinner for 6,30,000 people; 328 shelters have been opened for migrant laborers and people from outside Delhi.
