Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that barring containment zones, economic activities should be allowed to resume in the national capital, as senior city government officials deliberated on how to re-open Delhi post-May 17 after over a 50-day lockdown.
According to a health bulletin, the day recorded 310 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the tally to 7,233. No new fatality due to COVID-19 was reported between May 9 and May 10 midnight and the death toll stood at 73.
Sources said Delhi Chief Secretary Vijay Dev held a meeting with top officers of the Delhi government to discuss a detailed plan for re-starting economic activities amid changes wrought by the coronavirus pandemic.
They, however, added that any decision on relaxation will be in accordance with the Centre's guidelines for activities post May 17, when the third phase of the lockdown will end.
Participating in a video conference held by the prime minister with chief ministers of different states, Kejriwal batted for starting economic activities at the earliest.
Early this month, the chief minister had said that people will have to learn to live with the virus, and the time has come to reopen Delhi.
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Kejriwal is learnt to have also raised the issue of Delhi receiving only Rs 325 crore as share in the central taxes. The AAP government has been demanding an enhanced share in the central taxes.
On relaxing the restrictions post lockdown, the government has already demanded from the Centre that all eleven districts of Delhi should not be treated as 'Red Zone' so that more economic activities are allowed in the national capital, sources said.
The government wants the Red Zone areas to be identified as per the wards and not districts.
Recently, the Union Health Ministry designated the entire national capital, which has eleven districts, as Red zone in the new classification. The city has 272 wards. Malls, theatres have been shut since mid-March, much before the lockdown was announced in Delhi on March 23. The nation-wide lockdown came into force since March 25.
Kejriwal in the past has highlighted the adverse impact of the coronavirus-forced lockdown on the state exchequer.
The AAP government also decided to provide another financial assistance of Rs 5,000 to the construction workers amid the extended coronavirus lockdown.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Construction Workers' Welfare Board, chaired by Delhi Labour Minister Gopal Rai. There are around 40,000 construction workers registered with the board.
Meanwhile, three special AC trains will leave the New Delhi railway station to Dibrugarh, Bengaluru and Bilaspur on Tuesday.
The same day, five more trains bound for Delhi will leave from Patna, Bengaluru, Howrah, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, the railways said.
Nearly two months after it suspended operations of passenger trains over the coronavirus crisis, the railways will resume the services with 15 pair of trains on select routes from Tuesday.
Northern Railways in a statement has said that entry to the station will be from the Paharganj side for all confirmed ticket holders. No entry for passengers holding such tickets will be permitted from the Ajmeri Gate side, it said.
However, there was no clarity on the passengers alighting at Delhi, who do not have their transport, will reach their homes since only people dealing with essential services are allowed to board the Delhi Transport Corporation buses. Trains, taxis and cab aggregators have not been plying since the lockdown came into force.
The Delhi government had come up with an elaborate plan for returnees from abroad after 234 stranded Indians were brought back to the country from Singapore through a special flight last week. Those who came back are being lodged at paid quarantine facilities.
Health Minister Satyendar Jain also held a meeting to review the issues related to home isolation of COVID-19 patients.
The central team, deployed by the Union Health Ministry to assist the State Health Department in management of COVID-19 outbreak, visited containment areas, migrant camps, food centres, and the city government-run Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital.
The Union home secretary and the health secretary held a meeting to review the health situation in Delhi, it said.
The cabinet secretary also held a meeting through video conference regarding public health response to COVID-19 and implementation of MHA guidelines.
The fresh coronavirus cases include a 38-year-old Delhi Police Sub-Inspector deployed at Mandir Marg police station. The sub-inspector (SI) who was performing emergency duties tested positive for the infection on Sunday but he is asymptomatic, they said.
So far, more than 100 Delhi Police personnel have tested positive for coronavirus.
With a rise in the number of coronavirus cases in the force, the Delhi Police on Monday modified six of its vehicles to transport personnel either infected with or suspected of having COVID-19 to hospitals or quarantine centres, officials said.
According to police, the drivers of the special vehicles will be provided with Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE) kits as a precautionary measure.
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