Delhi Readies Battleplan 2.0 To Stem Covid

How to screen 2 crore people

- Gulam Jeelani

Thousands of health workers out to survey all 45 lakh households by July 6

Hotspots being re-mapped, with the focus moving from stray cases to dense clusters

CCTVs, drones & cops to ensure more stringent containment regime this time

SEVERAL measures were taken in the last couple of months to slow the coronavirus spread in Delhi, but infections and deaths have only been spiraling.

In the last week, the National Capital has reported 3,000 plus cases daily, except for a day, taking the total past the 77,000-mark — worst in any city of the country.

In all, 27,261 cases between June 19-26 account for 35% of the viral load the city has reported since March 2 when the first patient was detected.

Now, health and administrative authorities from the AAP government, assisted by the Centre and all three civic bodies, are in a scramble to implement a revised Covid-19 response in the city.

As part of the new battle plan, 33,000 health workers are racing to finish screening all 2 crore people in 45 lakh households by July 6. This is coupled with vigorous testing of those found suspects.

Remapping of all hotspots was to start on Friday and screening of all houses in these zones has to be over by June 30, with the focus moving from stray cases to dense clusters.

Delhi’s Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said, “All people living in containment zones will be tested.”

The big shift came because current hotspots account only for 19% of the total cases.