Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday urged the migrant labourers not to leave for home on foot, adding the government was arranging more trains for them. In his daily briefing, Kejriwal said: "I appeal to them to not travel on foot. It is not safe. We take your responsibility. We are here to take care of you."
Kejriwal's message comes on a day when five labourers were killed and 11 others sustained injuries following a road mishap in Madhya Pradesh. The truck, which was also carrying mangoes along with 18 migrant labourers, overturned in Narsinghpur on Sunday morning.
On Friday, 15 migrant labourers were killed when a cargo train ran over them in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district. The labourers were exhausted after walking for several kilometres and had decided to take rest on the rail tracks.
Speaking of COVID-19, the Delhi CM said 75 per cent of the cases in the city are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms.
Kejriwal said the government has also issued an order for requisition of ambulances of private hospitals, adding that the decision has been taken in the wake of shortage of state-run ambulances.
"They (private ambulances) will have to be pressed into service when the government requires their service," Kejriwal said while addressing an online media briefing.
The government has made arrangements for treatment of those at their homes with mild COVID-19 symptoms as per the Centre's guidelines.
"We have analysed that 82 per cent of the people who lost their lives were above the age of 50. We are seeing that there are more deaths among the elderly," he said.
"Out of 6,923 COVID-19 patients, only 1,476 are admitted at hospitals, rest getting treatment at their homes and COVID-19 centres," Kejriwal added.
