New Delhi: A day after Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal announced a mandatory five-day institutional quarantine for anyone testing positive for COVID-19, the order was withdrawn on Saturday.
Baijal’s controversial order — applicable for even asymptomatic patients or those with mild symptoms — triggered widespread protests in the ruling Aam Aadmi Party dispensation.
Opposing Baijal’s diktat at a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority, which is headed by the Lieutenant Governor, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal questioned why a separate rule was being created for the city.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia stated that the order is against Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines, which has permitted home isolation for asymptomatic patients and also those with mild symptoms. Sisodia felt it will create “chaos” in Delhi if implemented.
As per latest data, there were more than 53,000 coronavirus positive cases in Delhi, of which 27,000-plus were active. There have been 2035 deaths so far in the Indian Capital city.
