Coronavirus In Delhi: Amit Shah Holds All-Party Meeting, Delhi To Run 18,000 COVID-19 Tests Per Day Soon

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah held an all-party meeting on Monday to review the coronavirus situation in the National Capital Region (NCR). The Home Minister chaired a meeting in which representatives of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, BJP, Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party, were present. The Home Minister and the Lt. Governor of Delhi, Anil Baijal assured representatives of all parties that testing levels would be increased. Amit Shah said that Delhi would take testing levels to 18,000 per day by June 20.

Rajya Sabha member of AAP Sanjay Singh told the media that the bed strength of hospitals in Delhi would be improved. 1,900 more beds would be added to the existing hospital beds under the Delhi state government and 2,000 additional beds under the central government lot, the AAP MP remarked.

Sanjay Singh further told the media that testing would be ramped up in the national capital. The discussions with the Home Minister also included the involvement of party workers of various political outfits. AAP did not propose a lockdown and believes that an extended lockdown is not a solution to the coronavirus crisis.

Addressing the media, the BJP representative, and party's Delhi chief Adesh Gupta said that his party sought a 50% waiver on cost of test for COVID-19. The BJP also wanted a cap on charges levied by private hospitals for the treatment of coronavirus.

The Congress Delhi unit chief, Anil Chaudary told the media that his party had asked the Centre and the state government to create additional facilities. He also pointed out that his party was not in favour of railway coaches as an option in Delhi in view of the extreme heat in the capital. The Congress also suggested that 4th year students of MBBS be roped in to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.