india

Updated: Jun 01, 2020 20:28 IST

There are 92 coronavirus hotspots in Delhi, but the entire city is not a hotspot, Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain underlined on Saturday as the Centre relaxed lockdown rules.

In a midnight order on Friday, Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla had allowed neighbourhood shops, standalone shops and shops in residential complexes to open on the condition that they operate with half the strength and enforce social distancing norms.

“There are 92 coronavirus hotspots in Delhi. The entire district or the entire city is not (a hotspot),” Jain said replying to a query on whether the Delhi government was considering easing the curbs enforced to contain the spread of novel coronavirus.

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Delhi has reported a total of 2,514 Covid-19 patients till last night, 128 of them within the previous 24 hours.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had earlier this week said the lockdown will continue as usual in the national capital and no relaxation of prohibitions will be allowed before a review meeting of experts on April 27.

The health minister also said the rate at which coronavirus cases are doubling in Delhi has now slowed down to 13 days.

Of all the cases, 857 people have recovered completely, while 53 have died. Twenty-nine patients are in the ICU, the minister added.

On plasma therapy trials, Jain said, “We have tried it on six patients. Two patients got it four days ago, two on Thursday and two on Friday. Those who got it four days ago have almost recovered. The results are encouraging.”