Coronavirus in Delhi LIVE: PWD told to install CCTV in Covid-19 wards

In the past 7 days alone, Delhi has added 13,528 cases, or 33% of its total tally. Stay tuned for Coronavirus in Delhi LIVE updates

4:18 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: Delhi HC declines to entertain plea seeking waiver of traffic challans to doctors

The Delhi High Court Monday declined to entertain a plea by a doctors' association seeking waiving of the e-challans issued against "all corona warriors", including healthcare workers, during first two phases of the Covid-19 lockdown.

 

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan asked the association to make a representation to the traffic police with regard to its prayers for formulation of guidelines on display of speed limit signboards and immediate intimation of violation to the violator, Delhi government additional standing counsel Santosh Tripathi said.

 

The bench stated that as and when such a representation is made, the authorities concerned will decide on it in accordance with the law and rules and as expeditiously as possible and practicable, he said.

4:15 PM

Bury differences, join hands to battle Covid-19 in Delhi: Amit Shah tells all-party meet

All political parties in Delhi should forget their differences and join hands in the Covid-19 battle of the national capital, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday after chairing an all-party meet. Leaders of the BJP, the Aam Aadmi Party, the Congress and the BSP attended the meeting.

 

Shah appealed to the four parties to ask their workers to help in ensuring the ground implementation of the Delhi government's coronavirus guidelines. These steps will enhance public trust and the Covid-19 situation in Delhi will improve soon, Shah said. All parties should forget their political differences and work together for the people of Delhi, he said after the meeting.

 

We will have to increase Covid-19 testing in Delhi by adopting new solutions, the home minister said. The meeting was held in the wake of a spurt in novel coronavirus cases in Delhi. Shah also apprised the leaders of the steps taken to check the coronavirus pandemic and sought their views on the issue, a home ministry official said. The deadly virus has infected over 41,000 in the national capital so far and claimed more than 1,300 lives.

4:06 PM

United face of all political parties will enhance people's trust and Covid-19 situation in Delhi will be soon normal: Amit Shah

3:52 PM

Central govt providing 500 isolation coaches to Delhi govt: CPRO Northern Railways

3:42 PM

Amit Shah appeals to all Delhi political parties to urge workers to ensure Delhi govt Covid-19 guidelines implemented on ground

3:40 PM

Centre, Delhi govt to work together to combat Covid-19 crisis: Satyendar Jain

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Monday said that yesterday's meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah was fruitful and added that the Centre and Delhi government have resolved to work together to combat the coronavirus crisis.

 

"Yesterday's meeting was fruitful. The Central and Delhi government will work together to combat the coronavirus crisis. In testing facilities, there were some lapses on the part of the Centre. They are extending facilities to us. These lapses will be removed and testing will increase," Jain told reporters here.

 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had on Sunday chaired two meetings on coronavirus situation in the national capital along with Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan in which Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal were present.

3:25 PM

Coronavirus LIVE: HC notice to Delhi govt on Ganga Ram Hospital's plea seeking quashing of FIR

The Delhi High Court on Monday issued notice to Delhi government on a petition moved by Sir Ganga Ram Hospital seeking quashing of an FIR filed against it by Delhi Police for allegedly violating Covid-19 norms.

 

A bench of Justice C Harishankar issued the notice to the respondent on the plea, which also challenged Delhi government's June 3 order prohibiting the hospital from conducting Covid-19 test through the RT/PCR app, and slated the matter for further hearing on August 11. An interim application was also moved by the hospital seeking a stay on the proceedings of the FIR, on which hearing will be held tomorrow.

 

The plea said that the present FIR is nothing but a gross and patent abuse of process of law and is liable to be quashed to secure the ends of justice.

2:58 PM

Delhi govt asks private and govt labs to increase coronavirus testing, give results within 48 hours

Delhi government issued an order to private and government laboratories, asking them to work with their full capacity and increase their coronavirus testing capacity. As per the order, private labs will have to give results within 48 hours.

 

2:56 PM

Covid-19 LIVE update: No plan for another lockdown in Delhi, says Arvind Kejriwal

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday that there was no plan for another lockdown in Delhi even as the number of novel coronavirus cases continue to spurt.

 

"Many people are speculating whether another lockdown in Delhi in being planned. There are no such plans," Kejriwal tweeted.

 

It comes a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah held meetings with Kejriwal, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and three mayors to discuss the strategy to deal with the COVID-19 situation. On Sunday, Delhi recorded the highest single-day spike of 2,224 new COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to over 41,000, while the death toll mounted to 1,327.

2:32 PM

Number of Covid-19 tests to be increased to 18,000 per day in Delhi from June 20

The ruling AAP and main opposition BJP in Delhi on Monday said the battle against Covid-19 needs to be fought keeping political differences aside, while informing that the number of coronavirus tests will be increased to 18,000 per day in the city from June 20, even as the Congress hit out at the Centre and the Delhi government for the surge in the number of cases in the national capital.

 

After a meeting held by Union Home Minister Amit Shah with the leaders of all political parties of the national capital, Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta and AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said the number of Covid-19 tests will be increased to 18,000 per day in the city from June 20. Singh said it was decided at the meeting that politics should be kept away in the battle against the pandemic, adding that increasing the number of beds in hospitals for coronavirus patients was also discussed.

 

Gupta said a central team will give a report on capping of charges in private hospitals, after which action will be taken to control the "arbitrary" rates charged by such facilities.

 

Delhi Congress president Anil Kumar said he raised the issue of surging numbers of Covid-19 patients in Delhi while holding the BJP-ruled Centre and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi responsible for it. He also demanded universal testing for Covid-19 and deploying final-year medical students in the battle against the deadly coronavirus.

2:23 PM

No plans for another lockdown in Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal

Many people are speculating whether another lockdown in Delhi is being planned. There are no such plans: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal

2:22 PM

HC seeks AAP govt stand on NGO's offer to cremate those who die of Covid-19

The Delhi High Court Monday sought response of the AAP government on a plea by an NGO, which operates green crematoriums in Delhi, offering its facilities to cremate the bodies of those who have died of Covid-19. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan issued notice to the Delhi government and sought its stand on the NGO's plea by June 29.

 

The bench also gave the Delhi government time till June 29 to file an updated status report in the PIL initiated by the court on its own after coming across news reports about the lack of facilities to cremate those who have died of Covid-19 and that such bodies were piling up in the mortuaries.

 

An anguished high court had said if this was the correct situation then it was "highly dissatisfactory and violative of the rights of the dead". Apart from the NGO's plea, the bench also took up another petition filed by a lawyer, seeking contempt action against the AAP government and medical director of LNJP Hospital for not adhering to the undertaking given to high court on handling of bodies of Covid-19 patients.

2:13 PM

Treat as representation plea to waive e-challans against Covid-19 warriors: Delhi HC

Delhi High Court on Monday disposed of a PIL seeking directions to Traffic Police to waive e-challans issued against coronavirus warriors, including practicing doctors during the first two phases of lockdown, with a direction to authorities concerned to treat the plea as representation and decide on it in accordance with the law. A division bench of Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan, while disposing of the plea, directed Delhi Traffic Police to consider the petition as per rule and law.

 

The PIL, filed by Indian Medical Association (Dwarka) through advocate Shashank Deo Sudhi, sought directions to the respondents for immediately waiving off the penalties imposed in respect of the various alleged traffic violations upon several practicing doctors including other coronavirus warriors like health workers, police, defence personnel, bank employees, etc.

 

The plea said that these people were on essential duties during the lockdown even as traffic routes were blocked, red lights were not functioning and all purported challans were issued by technical gadgets without any specific information fed with respect to the diversions.

2:01 PM

Amit Shah said Delhi govt will conduct 18,000 Covid-19 tests per day by June 20: Delhi BJP chief

The Union Home Minister has said that the Delhi government will start conducting 18,000 Covid-19 tests per day by June 20, according to Delhi BJP chief Adesh Kumar Gupta on Monday.

 

"Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that by June 20, Delhi Govt will start conducting 18,000 Covid-19 testing per day and door to door tracing and mapping will be conducted in containment zones," Gupta told reporters here after the all-party meeting over the management of the pandemic in the national capital.

 

The all-party meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, over management of Covid-19 situation, at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) concluded. Gupta also said that in the all-party meeting, "BJP demanded that 50 percent charges should be waived off on testing. This demand has been approved by Union Home Minister Amit Shah."

 

He said that during the course of the meeting, Shah had urged all political parties to set aside their differences during this hour of crisis and come together to fight Covid-19.

1:49 PM

HC seeks Delhi govt, others' response on PIL for cremation of Covid victims in 'green crematoriums'

Delhi High Court on Monday sought a response from Delhi government, civic bodies, and others on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to allow performing last rites of those who have died due to coronavirus in "green crematoriums".

 

The PIL, moved by an NGO, submitted that the petitioner is working in the field of installation of green crematoriums that can be used for the cremation of bodies of Covid-19 victims after performing the last rites. A division bench of Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan slated the matter for further hearing on June 29 and sought replies from all the respondents on the plea while also hearing three matters regarding the reports of disposal of bodies.

 

Meanwhile, the High Court also heard a contempt plea seeking action against Delhi government's top bureaucrats, including the Chief Secretary, for non-compliance of the court's earlier order regarding non0disposal of bodies.

 

As a similar matter related to the disposal of bodies has also been taken by the Supreme Court, Delhi High Court posted the matter for hearing on the next date.