Maken cautions on Delhi govt's school reopening plan

New Delhi, June 7 (IANS) Amid rising coronavirus cases, the Congress, here on Sunday, said Delhi had entered the community spread stage but the state government was hiding facts.Addressing the media, senior Congress spokesperson Ajay Maken said unlocking was a bad idea and opening of malls and other places could cause more damage.He also criticised Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia for mulling the idea to reopen schools. "Parents should not send their children to school unless a vaccine is developed," Maken said.Maken said it was Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's diversionary tactics to say that only Delhi people would be treated at state hospitals. It was nothing but an attempt to change the narrative and hide his failures, he added.He also questioned the availability of beds in Delhi as patients were being denied admission.Maken said the Delhi government-constituted Mahesh Sharma Committee said by July 15 Delhi would require 42,000 beds and 10,500 ventilators. But the situation was very different on the ground, he added.Stating that both the central and state governments had failed the people of Delhi, Maken said, the central government hospitals had 13,200 beds and the municipal hospitals 3,500 bed, but only 1,502 beds were being used for Covid patients.The Congress said on April 29 the number of cases was 3,500 and 102 containment zones. Now when there were 28,000 cases, containment zones were 162, because the Delhi government changed the policy, he added.
--IANS miz/pcj