Kejriwal likely to meet Home Minister Amit Shah next week to discuss Delhi's COVID-19 situation
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is likely to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah next week to follow up on the request for additional beds in the city's central government-run hospitals amid a sudden spike in COVID-19 cases in the national capital, sources said on Saturday.
Apart from more beds, Kejriwal may ask for further assistance, including ensuring cooperation from other states in controlling pollution which is leading to a rise in coronavirus cases during the festive season.
"During his meeting with the Union home minister, the chief minister may also discuss steps which need to be taken to arrest the spread of COVID-19 in Delhi," a source said.
Kejriwal had on Friday said the AAP government was considering initiating several steps next week to arrest the spread of the viral disease in the city.
Earlier this week, he had requested Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan to augment the bed capacity in the central government-run hospitals in Delhi, in view of revised projections of up to 15,000 COVID-19 cases per day in the coming weeks.
In a letter to Vardhan last week, Kejriwal had cited a shortfall of around 4,900 beds in hospitals and sought his direction to the hospitals run by the central government in Delhi to provide at least 1,092 additional beds, including 300 ICU beds, with the required medical staff.
Kejriwal on Friday said the COVID-19 situation in the national capital should come under control in seven to 10 days.
Terming pollution as the "biggest reason" behind the spike in COVID-19 cases in Delhi, the chief minister said the situation was under control in the city till October 20.
"COVID-19 cases have been increasing for the last few days. I am also concerned about it. We have been taking all the appropriate measures to control it. We are considering taking more steps next week. I think the situation should come under control in seven to 10 days and the cases should start decreasing," he had said.
Delhi recorded 7,802 fresh COVID-19 cases in a day taking the infection tally in the national capital to over 4.74 lakh on Friday, while 91 more fatalities during the same period pushed the death toll to 7,423.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
