NDMC forms rapid response teams to screen residents who visited coronavirus-affected countries

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The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has formed two rapid response teams for screening of residents who had visited coronavirus-affected countries after January 15 and has already screened 56 houses.

"Two rapid response teams consisting of a doctor, paramedical staff and public health specialist have been formed for awareness generation and screening of persons who visited coronavirus-affected countries after January 15 belonging to NDMC area," a senior official of NDMC''s Health Department said.

"The Delhi government's health department has given a list of 56 persons residing in NDMC area, who had visited the coronavirus-affected countries. The rapid response team has visited and screened 56 houses and none of the residents had signs and symptoms of COVID-19 infection. The status report has been shared with integrated disease surveillance programme unit of New Delhi district," the official added.

NDMC area is home to political executives and senior bureaucrats, besides the iconic Parliament building, Rashtrapati Bhavan, diplomatic enclave and five-star hotels.

The civic body has also asked all hotels and guest houses in the area to send report regarding guests coming from the coronavirus-affected countries or any person showing symptoms of fever or flu.

The move comes after a person who had dined at a hotel in the central Delhi was tested positive for COVID-19. On Tuesday, the five-star hotel asked its staff, who were present at one of its restaurants where the individual who tested positive for coronavirus dined on February 28, to go on self-quarantine for 14 days.

"The report from hotels is being shared to the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) team on a regular basis," the NDMC official said. The North Delhi Municipal Corporation has set up an isolation ward at the Hindu Rao Hospital, an official said.

The official added that efforts are being made to set up another such ward at the Kasturba Hospital in old Delhi. "We have also done necessary procurements like masks," the official added.