After Fever, Delhi CM Kejriwal in Self-Quarantine; COVID-19 Test Tomorrow

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has gone into self-quarantine after developing sore throat and fever, and will get himself tested for COVID-19 on Tuesday, officials said on Monday.

They said the chief minister, who is also a diabetic, was feeling unwell since Sunday afternoon.

"He has mild fever and sore throat since Sunday afternoon. As advised by doctors, the chief minister will undergo COVID-19 test on Tuesday morning," officials said.

Officials said the CM had attended a Cabinet meeting on Sunday morning and thereafter, he did not attend any meeting.

The chief minister has been holding most of his meetings via video conferencing from his official residence for past two months.

HC Notice to Delhi Govt on Hospital Admission Denial

The Delhi High Court on Monday sought response from the AAP government on a plea seeking direction to the government and private hospitals not to deny admission to asymptomatic and symptomatic COVID-19 patients.

The plea has also sought direction that hospitals should not insist for coronavirus test before admitting people even in emergency.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan, which conducted the hearing through video conferencing, issued notice to the Delhi government and listed the matter for further hearing on June 25.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by advocate and petitioner Krishna Kumar Sharma who has also sought direction for not charging higher amount for personal protection equipment (PPE) from patients and that they be charged a reasonable amount.

He also sought to ensure that hospitals are not forcing frontline health workers to wear used PPE.

He has also called for taking immediate action against those government and private hospitals or nursing homes in the national capital, which refuses emergent medical care to the patients in this Covid-19 pandemic. 

The petition, filed through advocate K M Monika, sought direction to the authorities for ensuring that Covid-19 test shall not be mandatory before admitting elective and even emergency patients by government and private hospitals.

“…multiple private hospitals have made COVID-19 test mandatory before admitting elective and even emergency patients, despite respondent (Delhi government) issued a clarification on the aforesaid issue, asking hospitals authority not to test asymptomatic patients,” it said.

The petitioner told the high court that many hospitals are hesitating in providing critical services such as dialysis, blood transfusion, chemotherapy and institutional deliveries.

“It has also been noticed that at many places the hospitals/clinics are insisting for a COVID-19 test before providing services. Multiple directions issued by the delhi government that if any government and private hospital or nursing homes refuses emergent medical care to the person amid COVID-19 pandemic, strict action will be taken against the defaulters….,” the plea said.