COVID-19 cases are once again rising in Delhi, said Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday. While COVID-19 cases have increased in the capital, it has been reported that people are not developing severe disease and the hospitalisation rate is low. Given the severity of lockdowns in neighbouring China following outbreaks in cities such as Shanghai, […]
Delhi
Did stubble burning fuel Delhi’s third wave?
New research claims that the practice of stubble burning may have been a key driver of Delhi’s third wave of COVID-19 infections. The study, published in Urban Climate, identified a tenfold increase in the national capital during the biomass burning season which sees agricultural workers in the neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab burn the […]
AIIMS fire in Delhi points to safety needs
A fire has been reported at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi. Thankfully, no casualties have been reported as a result of the AIIMS fire, though the incident does remind us of the importance of fire safety within our healthcare facilities. The Delhi Fire Department reported that the AIIMS fire broke […]
COVID-19 lockdowns reduced concentration of air pollutants in Indian cities
For a crisis of such a magnitude as COVID-19, it seems arguably grotesque to seek out a silver lining. However, it is undeniable that India’s lockdowns in response to the pandemic had a positive impact when it came to air pollution. Five cities with ordinarily high rates of pollution showed a temporary reduction in particulate […]
Hospital waste handling in sights of Delhi High Court
The Delhi High Court has taken note of hospital waste handling in the national capital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Protocols outlined by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for disposal of waste such as swabs and testing kits ought to be “scrupulously followed”, the High Court told the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led state government. This […]
Night curfews not on the cards in Delhi
Night curfews will not be used to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Delhi, the state government has informed the Delhi High Court. The national capital has emerged as a hotspot of COVID-19, the disease caused by severe acute respiratory coronavirus syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or simply coronavirus. However, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government submitted […]
Stubble-burning smog to blame for increased COVID death rate, says Delhi’s Health Minister
![Burning of crops in southeast Punjab - a major driver of northern India's pollution crisis. (Image credit, Neil Palmer (CIAT) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]). Stubble burning concept.](https://www.healthissuesindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/NP_India_burning_70_6314806011-150x150.jpg "The cost of crop burning")
Delhi Health Minister Satyender Jain has attributed the high COVID-19 death rate in the national capital to pollution caused by stubble-burning in neighbouring states. However, the Minister said that he expected a downtrend to be seen in the next two to three weeks. Jain told reporters that the pollution in Delhi came as a result […]
COVID-19 situation in Delhi “unprecendented” says Niti but no new lockdown on the horizon
The COVID-19 situation in Delhi is “unprecedented” according to government think tank Niti Aayog. However, the state health minister has disavowed a new lockdown. During a meeting chaired by Union Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah, Niti Aayog chairman Dr Vinod K. Paul warned that the COVID-19 situation in Delhi “is likely to become worse.” […]
Air pollution in Delhi: Kejriwal takes a stand
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has taken a stand on air pollution in Delhi as the state government launches a campaign to safeguard the national capital’s air quality. Kejriwal said that the Yudh Pradushan ke Virudh campaign to fight air pollution in Delhi would provide separate and specific plans for thirteen identified air pollution hotspots. The […]
Non-emergency surgeries to resume at AIIMS
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi is to resume non-emergency surgeries despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria informed The Times of India that those not affected by COVID-19 – the disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), commonly referred to just as the coronavirus […]