Delhi government withdraws order to turn nursing homes into coronavirus COVID-19 facilities

Less than 24 hours of issuing an order that mandated all nursing homes in the national capital having bed strength between 10 beds to 49 beds to start treating coronavirus COVID-19 patients, the Delhi government on Sunday (June 14) withdrew the order after it was opposed by the medical fraternity.

“The competent authority has directed that order… by medical superintendent nursing homes to keepers of all nursing homes… having bed strength between 10 beds to 49 beds declaring them as Covid nursing homes has been withdrawn with immediate effect…” says Delhi government’s revised order issued on Sunday.

Delhi recorded yet another spike of coronavirus cases on Sunday with 2,224 new positive cases and 56 fatalities. The overall cases in the national capital has now jumped to 41,182 with the death count at 1,327. 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday convened two back-to-back high level meetings where Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on the COVID-19 crisis. He said testing will be doubled in the next two days and increased to three times after six days.

In a series of tweets in Hindi Amit Shah said: "To prevent coronavirus infection in Delhi, testing will be doubled in the next two days and after six days the testing will be increased to three times. Also, after a few days, the testing will be started at every polling station in the containment zones." 

Referring to the issue of shortage of beds in hospitals across Delhi, Shah said the Centre has decided to immediately provide 500 railway coaches equipped with all facilities. The number of beds is set to rise by 8,000 with the provision of railway coaches.