Delhi MCD official puts coronavirus deaths at 2,098, double of Delhi govt's figure

An official of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) said on Thursday (MCD) that there have been a total of 2,098 deaths due to coronavirus for which funerals have been held at its various MCD divisions. The toll is more than double of 984 reported by the health department of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government. It comes amid allegations against the Delhi government of hiding the real number of deaths in the national capital. "From March till 10th June, in all 3 Municipal Corporations of Delhi, there have been around 2098 COVID-19 death cases for which funerals have been held," news agency ANI quoted  Jai Prakash, Chairperson of Standing Committee, North Delhi Municipal Corporation, as saying.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled MCD's three divisions, namely SDMC (South), NDMC (North) and EDMC (East) have reported 1080, 976, and 42 cremations of coronavirus patients, respectively.

According to the data released by the Delhi government health department on Thursday, the total number of coronavirus cases in the city stood at 32,810 with 984 deaths. Out of the 32,810 cases, 19,581 are active cases while 12,245 people have been cured. On Wednesday, Satyender Jain, Health Minister, Delhi, said: "Community spread is when there are cases in which the source (of infection) cannot be ascertained. Almost half of our cases are like this."

Meanwhile, Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has overruled Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's recent order that prohibited coronavirus patients from other states to get treatment at private and government hospitals, except those run by the Centre, in Delhi. In his capacity as the Chairperson of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority, Baijal directed departments and authorities of National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi to ensure that no coronavirus patient is denied treatment in hospitals on grounds of not being a resident of Delhi.

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