Coronavirus: Delhi took “no effective preventive steps” to check spread: Centre’s to Supreme Court (File)
New Delhi:
The Delhi government took “no effective preventive steps” to check the spread of the novel coronavirus disease, forcing the Union government to step in, read the centre’s affidavit to the Supreme Court.
The centre’s response to a case on “proper treatment of COVID-19 patients and dignified handling of dead bodies in hospitals” came amid a third and severe wave of COVID-19 that has claimed more than 2,300 lives in Delhi in the past month.
“Despite knowing that festivities and winter might lead to a surge, the Delhi government did not do enough. No timely measures were taken to increase ICU beds or testing capacity,” the centre states.
The Delhi government failed to enforce Union Health Ministry’s measures and was “lax in containing the spread”, the affidavit read.
Failures by the Delhi government constrained Union Home Minister Amit Shah to review COVID-19 situation on November 15 and ready a new plan, read the affidavit, which will be examined by the Supreme Court today.
