Delhi Covid deaths cross 25,000, govt steps up with ex-gratia

By Praveen Dwivedi

New Delhi, July 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) While Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday launched an e-portal to provide ex-gratia to bereaved families and extended a helping hand for children who became orphans due to the devastating Covid-19 pandemic, the death toll in the national capital crossed 25,000.

Out of the people who died due to Covid-19 pandemic since early last year, 14,091 people lost their lives from March 1 to till July 6 this year.

After calculating daily Covid-related data provided by Delhi government's health administration, it emerged that 8,090 citizens lost their lives in the month of May this year, the highest ever, while the pandemic caused the second highest deaths in a month - 5,120 - in April this year.

Several renowned health experts have claimed Delhi witnessed four waves of Covid pandemic, the first in June 2020, the second wave in September 2020, followed by third one in November 2020 and the fourth and at present the most lethal so far.

Experts have reiterated that the period between May 15 to June 15 was the peak of the fourth wave of Covid pandemic, when daily new cases were as an average over 25,000, including the highest ever new cases in a day - 28,395 on April 20 while on May 3, the highest ever daily Covid deaths in Delhi were reported - 448.

Datas suggests that between March 1 and March 31 this year, a total of 117 deaths Covid-related deaths were registered in Delhi. It was the period when the previous wave of pandemic (3rd) was in a downward trend and the city was completely unlocked after several months of nationwide lockdown last year.

As the fourth wave of Covid pandemic in Delhi started a downward trend after mid-May this year, as a result Delhi's death toll reduced to 740 in the month of June. As of now, the daily Covid deaths have reduced to below 10 in a day since the last few weeks, including four on Tuesday, while 24 deaths have been registered between July 1 and July 6.

While launching an e-portal - 'Mukhyamantri Covid-19 Pariwar Aarthik Sahayata Yojna' - to provide financial assistance to the families who lost their loved ones due to the Covid pandemic, on Tuesday, Kejriwal said, "We are all aware of how since the last 1.5 years not just India but the entire humanity is enduring this pandemic. It may be the second wave of Covid pandemic for India but for Delhi it was the fourth wave, which was very lethal. We lost a lot of lives because of this fourth wave, a lot of children became orphans, a lot of families lost their breadwinners. There's no one to look after them now."

The Delhi government first announced financial aid to Covid-affected families under its scheme on May 18 and it was notified on June 23.

Under the scheme, Delhi government will provide Rs 50,000 ex-gratia to every family that has lost a member due to Covid-19. Additionally, a pension of Rs 2,500 per month would be given to the families that lost the sole breadwinner due to the pandemic.

Delhi government has also announced it will bear the cost for raising the children who lost both their parents and will provide Rs 2,500 per month till they attain the age of 25 years.

As per the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights' (DCPCR) report, over 2,000 children lost either one or both parents due to the Covid-19 pandemic in the national capital till June 30.

The DCPCR in April this year launched a helpline number '9311551393' wherein any citizen of Delhi can register their grievance, and claimed to have traced 2,029 children who have either lost one or both parents due to Covid-19.

Source: IANS