Delhi government to convert 100 rooms of Ashoka hotel as COVID facility for HC Justices, families

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New Delhi: The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government in Delhi on Monday (April 26) passed an order to convert 100 rooms of infamous Ashoka Hotel into a COVID-19 Health facility for Justices and other judicial officers of the Delhi High Court and their families.

The AAP government, in the official order on Monday, also added that the Primus Hospital in Delhi’s Chanakyapuri will run the Community Health Centre (CHC) facility at Ashoka Hotel.

"A request has been received from Delhi High Court for setting up of CHC facility for the Justices and other judicial officers of Delhi High Court and their families," the government said. To make sure the order is properly followed, the government asked New Delhi district Executive Magistrate, Dinesh Kumar Meena to coordinate with the Primus Hospital and the Ashoka Hotel authorities for setting up the COVID-19 facility.

The Delhi governments also added that all the biomedical waste disposal will be the responsibility of the hospital.

"The staff of hotel shall be provided with all protective gear and given basic adequate training. Ambulance for the transfer facility will be provided by Primus Hospital. For any shortage of hotel staff, the same will be provided by the Hospital," the order stated.

"All the services including room, housekeeping, disinfection and food for the patients, among other things shall be provided by the hotel. The charge shall be collected by the hospital and the hospital shall make the payment to the hotel. The Primus Hospital may accommodate their doctors, nurses and other paramedical staff at their own expenses after deciding the rates mutually," it added. 

The decision was taken in the view of rising COVID-19 infections in the country. Several judges of the Delhi High Court have been tested positive for COVID-19 recently.

Meanwhile, Delhi on Monday recorded 20,201 new COVID-19 cases and 380 deaths. This is the fifth successive day the city has seen the highest daily fatalities.

The Delhi Health Department bulletin revealed that the total COVID-19 cases count in the city has gone up to 10,47,916, out of which 92,358 are active cases. The cumulative death toll has gone up to 14,628 on Monday.