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 […]
Delhi
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
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 […]
Quarantine at Nehru Stadium
The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi is to be repurposed as a quarantine facility to help combat the COVID-19 outbreak in India. The Sports Authority of India (SAI) relinquished the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to the Delhi state government. The SAI announced last month that sports facilities under its purview could be used for quarantine purposes. […]
Ayushman Bharat in Delhi to come about
The decision has been made to implement the Centre’s flagship health insurance Ayushman Bharat in Delhi, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has announced. Sisodia, who holds the finance portfolio in the Government of Delhi, made the announcement as he presented the state budget for the 2020-21 period. The decision comes after a long-standing tussle between […]
Coronavirus pandemic a ‘very real’ threat
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the threat of a full-blown novel coronavirus pandemic is ‘very real’ – lending further credence to fears that a coronavirus pandemic could manifest as the foretold ‘Disease X.’ In light of the continued coronavirus outbreak in India, the Union Government is urging a number of ministries to […]