Delhi Govt Announces Mass Vaccination Drive For Journalists After CM's Review Meeting On Covid Situation

The meeting called by Arvind Kejriwal was held at the chief minister's residence. The national capital recorded 341 Covid-19 deaths in a day along with 19,832 new cases.

Photo: PTI

New Delhi: After the Supreme Court directed the Central government to ensure that the national capital gets 700 metric tonnes (MT) of oxygen supply every day, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called for a meeting to review the Covid situation.

The Supreme Court order has come as a relief for Delhi as for over several weeks hospitals in the national capital have been facing a shortage of critical supply. Delhi for the first time had received 730 MT of oxygen on Wednesday and the Chief Minister requested the Centre to continue supplying 700 metric tonnes of oxygen daily.

The meeting called by Arvind Kejriwal was held at the chief minister's residence. Attendees include Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Health Minister Satyendar Jain, health secretary and all the district magistrates.

After the meeting, the Government announced its decision to organize a mass Covid vaccination drive for all the Media houses (Electronic Media/Digital Media/Print Media). This vaccination drive will be organised at their offices and the government has committed to bear the cost for the same.

Besides this here some important points that have been reported out of the meeting:

• CM Kejriwal has asked for the vaccination drive to inoculate citizens within 3 months.
• He also instructed the officers to ensure that there should be no shortage of beds, now that the Oxygen situation here is coming under control.
• No patient should lose her/his life due to any shortage of oxygen supply, he stated.
• The District Magistrates have been directed to visit 2-3 vaccination centres daily for inspection.
• CM Kejriwal also instructed them to pay a surprise visit to relief camps and old age homes.

According to the Delhi government, out of 1919 ICU beds with ventilators available in the hospitals, only four are vacant (till 2.30 p.m. on Friday).

The Apex Court on Friday told the Centre: "When we say 700 MT, it means (the amount of medical oxygen to be supplied) every day to Delhi. Please do not drive us to a situation to take coercive steps. We are clarifying that it will be 700 MT every day."

The national capital has recorded 341 Covid-19 deaths in a day along with 19,832 new cases and 19,085 recoveries as the positivity rate dropped to 24.9 percent, according to the bulletin issued by the Delhi health department on Friday.

As per the bulleting, the total cases are 12,92,867, total recoveries are 11,83,093, death toll is 18,739 and active cases are 91,035.