AAP opposes Delhi L-G Anil Baijal's mandatory 5-day institutional quarantine order, calls move 'arbitrary'

New Delhi: Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party has opposed Lt Governor Anil Baijal's order for a five-day institutional quarantine for COVID-19 patients, asking why there is one rule for Delhi and another for rest of the country. Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh termed the order "dictatorial".

"I want to ask, what dictatorial order is this? One rule for Delhi and another for the rest of the country. Is the BJP government taking revenge on the people?" the AAP leader said. "Where will the person be kept, in railway coaches?" Singh asked.

Rai said ICMR guidelines say patients with mild symptoms can be home quarantined but a different order has been issued for Delhi. "It is a very unfair decision," Singh said.

The Delhi government said that the L-G's decision on home quarantine is "arbitrary" and will "seriously harm" people in the national capital. Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said there was no consensus on this decision at the Delhi State Disaster Management Authority meeting. In a series of tweets, Sisodia said no consensus could be reached in the meeting on the L-G order and the rate of private hospital beds and another meeting will take place at 5 pm. 

He added that the order to terminate home isolation is against the Indian Council of Medical Research guidelines and it will create chaos in Delhi.

"The Delhi government opposed L-G's order on scrapping home isolation and no decision was taken on it. The matter will be discussed again in the evening," he tweeted in Hindi.

AAP MLA Raghav Chadha said many people will not get tested in fear of being whisked away to quarantine centers. "People in my assembly called me and told me that we will not get tested now. People are that scared," he told reporters

Chadha said Delhi would need 15,000 beds by June 30, but after this order 90,000 beds will be required. "From where will we get these beds?" he asked.

Endorsing his views, AAP MLA Atishi, who has tested positive for COVID-19, also opposed the order. "As a COVID-positive patient - who is recovering in Home Isolation - am appalled at the order issued by @LtGovDelhi at the behest of MHA that has ended Home Isolation in Delhi and made 5 days of institutional quarantine compulsory," she tweeted on Friday.

Ending the option of home isolation will lead to further spread of the disease ad many people will be scared of institutional quarantine and will not get themselves tested, she added.

Meanwhile, a plea has been moved in Delhi High Court challenging Delhi Lieutenant Governor's order which made mandatory for COVID19 positive cases to undergo 5 days institutional quarantine.

Lieutenant Governor Baijal had on Friday ordered a five-day mandatory institutional quarantine for every COVID-19 patient under home isolation in Delhi. The L-G is the chairman of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority.

For the first time, Delhi recorded over 3,000 fresh coronavirus cases on Friday in its highest single-day spike so far, pushing the tally to 53,116 cases. With 66 fatalities in 24 hours, the death toll reached 2,035.