Delhi In Free Fall As Blame Game Erupts

Capital’s war on Corona compromised by fresh political battle between L-G and AAP govt over beds, virus transmission

- Gulam Jeelani

COVID-19 PANDEMIC

9,987 new cases in India, total 2,66,598

266 more died, toll now 7,466

OF THE 3,700 samples tested across the Capital in a single day, as many as 1,007 were positive, according to numbers shared by the Delhi government on Monday. This means 27 people in every 100 samples taken tested positive in one day, which is a startling three times higher than the incidence of nine people testing positive among 100 samples taken nationally on the same day.

As things stand, with nearly 30,000 cases and 874 deaths till Monday, Delhi is one of the three worst-affected states in the country owing to the pandemic, after Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. With 5.5 lakh cases by July-end, as per Delhi government estimates, the situation doesn’t seem to be improving anytime soon. In fact, Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain has hinted that with source of infection of more than 50% patients being untraceable, Delhi might have already entered the community transmission stage, a crucial development that the Centre is yet to endorse.

At a time when the Capital stands at an extremely critical point in its fight against the Coronavirus pandemic, a fresh political row has erupted between the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal.

POINT-COUNTERPOINT