Amit Shah To Chair All-Party Meet Tomorrow To Discuss Worsening COVID-19 Situation In Delhi

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has called an all-party meeting on Monday (15 June) evening to evaluate the pandemic situation in the national capital.

The meeting, scheduled at 11:00am, has been convened when Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has already held a similar meeting on the issue.

Monday's meeting follows two meetings by Shah on Sunday.

While in the first meeting, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and L-G Baijal were present, the second meeting was also attended by all Delhi Mayors.

As the number of coronavirus cases crossed 38,000-mark in Delhi, the Centre on Sunday decided to double the number of tests in the city in the next two days. The exercise will soon start at polling stations in containment zones.

Chaired by Shah at his North Block office, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan as well as members of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) were also present.

Earlier, the Supreme Court came down hard on both the state and the Centre for rapid rise in Covid-19 cases in the national capital, calling the situation "deplorable".

The national capital city has seen exponential surge in COVID-19 cases with nearly 2,000 people testing positive every day for several consecutive days.

According to media reports, patients in Delhi have also suffered due to alleged shortage of beds allocated for COVID-19. Given the requirement of more beds, the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, in the meeting chaired by Shah, also decided to immediately give 500 railway coaches.

These 500 railway coaches will give Delhi 8,000 beds. They will be equipped with all facilities required for the treatment and care of Covid 19.

Earlier, Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said the doubling rate of cases in the city was at 12-13 days, which could lead to nearly 5.5 lakh cases by the end of July and Delhi would need at least 80,000 dedicated beds for COVID-19 patients.

(With inputs from IANS)