Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held a press briefing on Saturday, 21 March, where he gave updates on the status of coronavirus cases and measures in Delhi, and also detailed some new rules and advisories that have been put into place.
Kejriwal explained that the state government has been working with the Central government in order to facilitate and implement the measures. He later tweeted images as the measures were put into place.
Delhi: 26 Cases, 1 Death
Kejriwal said that till now, there are 26 confirmed cases in Delhi and one death. Four of the cases are through local transmission, while the other 22 are due to infection by foreign carriers.
He said that it is necessary to take all precautions, as once the virus spreads, it becomes very difficult to control. Giving the example of foreign nations like Italy and China that have seen mass outbreaks of coronavirus, he said that all measures need to be taken to ensure the situation is brought under control.
“Only you can protect yourself, nobody else can.”Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
He detailed the importance of personal responsibility, washing hands, avoiding physical contact and staying indoors. He later also appealed to senior citizens to avoid going outdoors, even for morning walks, and to stay inside as much as possible.
New Rules, Measures in Delhi
Kejriwal said that the previous advisory of not having gatherings of more than 20 people is being amended, and the threshold is being reduced to five people. A 1 metre distance is to be maintained between people, even in queues.
On Sunday, the day of the ‘Janata Curfew,’ 50 percent fewer buses would be operating in Delhi, along with a suspension of Metro and other public transport services.
Kejriwal explained that some bus routes would be kept operational in case of emergencies.
Meanwhile, people coming from abroad who did not like the quarantine facility conditions, were allowed to stay in certain hotels prepared for this purpose, provided that they paid their own bills. To facilitate this, GST would be exempted on these bills.
Financial Relief to Poor, Pensions Doubled
Kejriwal presented a detailed plan to ensure that poor people and daily-wage earners would not have a shortfall of resources, explaining that ration would be increased by 50 percent, and the April ration would be made available from 20 March itself.
He emphasised on the need to stay calm, to not queue in front of ration shops and to not hoard any resources. Assuring everyone that there was no shortage of any resources, Kejriwal highlighted the importance of not crowding to collect the ration, so as to prevent any spread of the virus.
The pensions given to 2.5 lakh widows, 5 lakh senior citizens and 1 lakh differently abled people are also being doubled by the state government, Kejriwal said, explaining that this would help tide them over in this tough time. Homeless shelters would also provide free lunch and dinner to whoever required, he said. He later tweeted, urging employers to provide paid leave and be compassionate to domestic workers.
Discipline, Staying Calm Need of the Hour
The Delhi CM ended by saying that the government felt that conditions are not extreme enough to merit a lockdown, and such a policy call would only be taken after due consideration. He said that the coronavirus crisis is something the capital would get through together, supporting each other.
Meanwhile, a video of Sangram Chaudhary, managing director of Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetable Private Limited, emerged, where he said that Mother Dairy outlets will maintain their supply even on 22 March, the day of the 'Janata Curfew,' and beyond.
Adding that he had heard of panic-buying and overcrowding at some outlets, he assured the customers of Delhi-NCR that availability of the products would be maintained, and urged them to stay safe and disciplined.
Mother Dairy later tweeted a part of the video, showing Chaudhary reassuring viewers that distribution will continue, and not to panic.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)