Suggestions sent to Centre regarding resumption of public transportation for lockdown 4.0: Delhi Minister
May 15, 2020
New Delhi [India], May 15 : Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Friday said that the Delhi government has submitted the proposals to the Centre for the relaxations that people are expecting from the government for the next phase of coronavirus lockdown 4.0.
The Minister emphasized that people are stressing for the resumption of public transportation in limited manner.
"We have sent proposals to the centre. Most people have given a proposal to wear mask in public space and maintain social distancing," said Jain while speaking to reporters.
He added: "The people have suggested that movement of buses and metro rails may be started in limited numbers to maintain social distancing."
"The people of Delhi have suggested that 25% or 50% malls can be opened,shops can be opened on odd-even basis," Jain said.
Jain further went on to credit the lockdown saying that "a lot of information" was gathered during the two month lockdown period.
"In these last two months (of lockdown), we have been able to gather quite a lot of information about the virus. If there wasn't a lockdown imposed, we would not have been able to understand the nature of the virus," Jain stated.
With Delhi reporting 472 COVID-19 cases, taking its tally to 8,470 on Thursday, according to the health bulletin issued by the Delhi Government, Jain said that while looking at the number of cases, one must also look at the percentage at which they have been increasing as well.
"If we go on numbers, we must also go on the percentage growth as well. Yesterday's percentage growth was about 5-5.5 percent--which is not very high. There was a time where we had a growth percentage of 20 percentage, then 12 percent," stated the health minister.
With regard to the issue of Migrant labourers going hungry amid the lockdown, he said that night shelters for migrant labourers residing in Delhi have been set up and added: "10 Lakh people are given meals in the morning and evening, in Delhi. If even 20 Lakh people need food, we are ready for that too."
