Contact tracing, house-to-house surveys to be stepped up to fight Covid in Delhi

In an effort to control the spike in Covid-19 cases in the national capital, house-to-house surveys and contact-tracing will be stepped up in containment zones, the Delhi government said on Friday.

“Contact tracing was already taking place before this spike and is still underway at a large scale. House-to-house surveys will be conducted in containment zones from today to check on symptomatic patients,” Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said.

As many as 7,546 new Covid-19 cases and 98 fatalities were reported on Thursday, taking the total positive cases to 5,10,630 and 8,041 deaths.

The government has announced various measures to contain the spread of coronavirus. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that the fine for not wearing a face mask had been increased to Rs 2,000 from Rs 500. “In Delhi, a large number of people are wearing masks but still some are not. A fine of Rs 2,000 will be imposed on anyone who is found not wearing a mask at a public place. Till now it was Rs 500. If you wear a mask, there are fewer chances of people contracting Covid-19,” the CM said.

Emphasising the importance of mask, Jain said, “There is no harm in wearing a mask inside the car also. Citizens should make it a rule to wear a mask every time they step outside their homes. If you’re not going to wear a mask don’t leave your house.”

This also comes after the Delhi High Court asked the Delhi government to come up with a concrete plan to enforce social distancing and the wearing of masks at public places across the city.

While the Covid-19 situation in the country seems to improve with fewer cases each day, the national capital continues to report the high daily numbers, with daily deaths hovering just below the 100-mark. WITH ANI INPUTS