"Have To Learn To Live With Coronavirus": Arvind Kejriwal Reminds Delhi

Nearly 75 per cent coronavirus patients in Delhi are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said today as he reminded that the city has to "learn to live with COVID-19". These patients have been advised to recover at their homes, the Chief Minister said today after the central government on Saturday revised its guidelines on the discharge of COVID-19 patients.

"Of 6,923 total coronavirus cases reported so far in Delhi, 2,069 patients have recovered; 73 patients have died. Eighty-two percent of those who died in the national capital were above 50 years of age... senior citizens are more vulnerable. We have to take care of the elderly, they have to avoid stepping out," the Delhi Chief Minister said during a video conference this afternoon.

"Only 1,463 patients are admitted to the hospitals right now; rest of them - about 75 per cent - are either asymptomatic or they have mild symptoms. We are trying hard that all the patients recover. We are following the centre's latest guidelines that say they can be treated at their homes. Our teams are visiting their homes to ensure that they are following all the protocols, following up with them daily," the 51-year-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief added.

"If such patients do not have separate rooms at their houses, we make sure that they can get admitted to COVID-19 care centres. To make sure that we don't fall short of resources in the fight against COVID-19, we have recruited private ambulances too," he added.

The national capital has recorded the third highest number of coronavirus cases in India. The Chief Minister today said that while "overall corona figures (are) rising in Delhi but at the same time people are getting cured and going back home safe. Now we've to learn to live with corona." Last week, he had made similar remarks as the city-state readied to ease lockdown restrictions.

Today, he also targeted the opposition parties during the video conference over the steps taken by the AAP government for those in the forefront in the fight against the highly infectious illness. "Many COVID-19 warriors - teachers, doctors, sanitation workers - are on the forefront . If any of them fall ill, we have booked five star hotels to take care of them. The onus to take care of them lies on us. It's strange that the opposition is attacking us for this," he said without naming any party.

"One policeman- Amit Rana - died due to COVID-19. We have announced Rs 1 crore compensation for his family. Opposition should refrain from political attacks at the time of the crisis."

Around 125 policemen in Delhi have so far contracted the disease, 25 of them have recovered.

Arvind Kejriwal today again appealed to the migrant workers to avoid taking journeys of hundreds of kilometres on foot. "Migrants are still trying to walk hundreds of kilometres to return home. It's sad to see them walking with children on shoulders, without food. It seems the system has failed."

Referring to the death of migrants in the past few days, he said: "I have appeal- don't leave the city. The lockdown will be lifted soon. We are trying to arrange more trains after two were sent to Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. Some were injured in a train accident; others in another accident."

Sixteen migrants in a group of 20 were run over by a cargo train in Maharashtra while they were sleeping on the tracks. Last night, at least five migrant labourers were killed, 15 were injured in Madhya Pradesh when the truck they were travelling in overturned.