Implemented threefold strategy to defeat Corona: Manish Sisodia
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in an exclusive interview to Aaisha Sabir of Millennium Post, said Delhi is prepared if there is a further spike in COVID-19 cases. He, however, hoped for the best and added that under the current scenario, if the spread of the virus is contained, then schools may open in July.
Excerpts:
What are the steps the Delhi government taking to contain the COVID-19 situation?
In Delhi the situation is different, the state government's responsibility is not just to look after its residents living in the colonies but also to take care of foreign nationals who come to India. For this reason we have taken a threefold strategy to combat the virus and to implement this we have isolated the foreign cases and Markaz cases to stop the spread of the virus. Secondly, watching the International trend in this pandemic, we have observed that a spike in several cases can come any time. Several countries that thought that there would be no more cases have seen a sudden spurt in it. In such a situation we hope for the best but we are prepared for the worst. If you talk about the number of patients we see 10,000 patients per day and we have made good arrangements for them. Our third step is making sure that people are strictly following the lockdown rules and that nobody should die of hunger or distress and for that we are feeding people in large numbers everyday.
We have distributed ration to around 70 lakh people and around 10 lakh people are left, and they will receive it soon. We are giving ration to even those who do not have a ration card. This is being done on a large scale. Around 40,000 construction workers have received Rs 5,000 in their bank accounts. This is also being done on a large scale.
For how long will the Delhi Govt continue doing this seeing the resources at its disposal?
Foreign contact has been curbed thanks to the lockdown, no foreign return people are entering the city now. If you put the Markaz cases aside there are no new contacts. If we can manage to control this then Delhi does not have a large number of cases due to local spreading. We are studying each new case that is coming and trying to trace the source and then we are taking necessary steps. Once these local cases are in control then we can expect to be better placed, for now the focus is on controlling the spread. Nobody can predict a date when this will be over. It is difficult to predict that, now we can strive to control the rise in cases.
What are the plans for students during the summer break?
We have already begun online classes. Due to the Coronavirus, Delhi's education system is getting redefined. Technology is a big part of it now and will be in the future too. If things are sorted by May 3, then we hope to reopen schools in July and we hope it will start functioning smoothly. However, if there is a spurt in cases in any part of the country then the entire country has to go into a lockdown. Hopefully, by July sessions can begin but only if the spread of COVID-19 is contained.
The current Class 12 students have missed out on a semester, which is a crucial time for them, what special plans do you have for them?
We have already begun their online classes in various subjects and we will keep increasing special classes for them. We are holding meetings in this regard and have been talking to a lot of people on this.
What are your observations about online happiness classes?
Happiness classes are no longer the regular classes that it used to be, but we are adapting to new methods given the circumstances. Starting happiness classes at home in times of anxiety has helped not only students but also parents. It is effective because families are confined to a space which can cause anxiety.
What new classes or ideas can we expect ?
Right now our entire focus is on controlling the spread of the COVID-19.
What will be the main areas of focus for the govt after April 20, as some relaxation from the Centre is expected?
Cases have been coming in everyday. We do not know what sort of relaxation will come in and what the circumstances will be. We will gauge the situation then and act accordingly.
You have been conducting disinfection drives and going on ground visits, what is your observation?
People are tensed and there is lot of anxiety among them. They are worried about their jobs and what will happen to it. Specially the daily wage earners are worried about what will happen to their means of income. As for disinfection drive, it will continue for a while now.
