Following the meeting of the State level task force, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced various measures to control the outbreak of the coronavirus including separate facilities for collection of samples at various hospitals, conducting thermal screening of the passengers at airport among others.
Kejriwal also said that there was no need for the healthy to wear masks, but asked people to wash their hands with soap frequently.
His comments came amid surge in demand for masks and hand sanitizers in the market after three confirmed Covid-19 cases were reported in Delhi.
"If a healthy person wears a mask, there are circumstances when one might use their hands to adjust the mask. In such case, you are putting yourself at the risk of getting infected and get exposed," the Chief Minister said in reply to a question
Kejriwal, who chaired the meeting of task force, said that airport authorities have been directed to conduct thermal screening of the passengers. The Delhi government has deployed 40 doctors for the same. Those from Delhi are also being monitored consistently for 14 days. Around 1, 40,603 passengers have been screened and put under surveillance," he said.
The chief minister said that now 25 hospitals have the facilities where one can submit the samples. Out of the 25 hospitals, six are private hospitals while others are those of the Delhi Government.
"We are making separate facilities for collection of samples and treatment in these hospitals so that if any patient arrives there, they don't come in contact with others," he said.
The Delhi government will request the Centre to impose a ban on travel to countries that have recorded a large number of coronavirus cases, he said.
Kejriwal said he will meet Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Monday to request a ban on travel to countries with a large number of COVID-19 cases.
The Government had set up a task force to take preventive measures against the spread of novel corona virus (COVID-19) in the national capital. The task force has representatives from all agencies concerned, including municipal corporations and the Delhi police.
Dr Nutan Mundeja, Director General of Health Services and Dr Sujeet Kumar Singh, director of NCDC who were also present with Kejriwal during press conference, presented a comprehensive overview of corona virus and to elucidate how contagious the disease is.
Dr Mundeja said, "Corona virus is a respiratory virus and the symptoms of the problem are cough and cold. The virus infection is contagious, which means a person can spread the virus through coughing and sneezing in the form of droplets, which can be at a short range of 1-1.25 meters," he said.
"Everyone should cover their mouth and nose while coughing and sneezing so that no droplets can reach other persons' eyes, nose or mouth. It is advisable to use tissues or cover your face through elbows instead of cloth handkerchief to avoid transmission of the virus. Second, if the droplets do not reach another person, they settle on a surface, which can then be touched by various people," he said," adding that these droplets lose their effects in two days on hard surfaces and in 7-8 days on soft surfaces.
"It is very likely for people to touch these surfaces and then touch their eyes, nose, and mouth, which increases the chances of the virus entering the body. This is the reason why we are asking people to wash their hands repeatedly, as well as to not touch unwanted surfaces in public areas," he added.
Elaborating it further, Dr Mundeja said "If a healthy person wears masks consistently for hours, he or she may feel uncomfortable. They will adjust their masks and touch their faces with their hands which may have touched some unwanted surfaces," he said.
Explaining disadvantages of wearing mask, Dr Sujeet Kumar Singh, Director of NCDC, said that wearing masks in the public gives a false sense of security to the people and also develop a false narrative that the person wearing a mask might be infected.
"It is advised to only wear the masks if you are suffering from cold and cough, or if you have returned from outstation and going to get yourself checked for any symptoms that you may notice. In case you notice symptoms, make sure to use private transport instead of public commute," he said.
"Everyone wants to purchase an N95 mask nowadays, which is not required. N95 masks are only required for healthcare workers, who are collecting samples for testing in the labs, and doctors who are examining the patients. Other than that, even nurses do not require these masks. Also, markets have been flooded with people asking for hand sanitizers. Washing hands with regular soap and water for 20 seconds is enough," he said
The Delhi Government also announced a 24X7 state-district level control room helpline numbers 011-22307145/ 011-22300012/ 22300036.
Delhi has recorded three positive cases of coronavirus — a 45-year-old man from Mayur Vihar, the Paytm employee who works in Gurgaon and lives in west Delhi and another man from west Delhi with a travel history to Thailand and Malaysia.