New Delhi, Nov 5 (IANS): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday held a review meeting on the coronavirus situation and the preparedness of Delhi to deal with the COVID-19 cases and also decided to ban firecrackers, as both pollution and Covid-19 are adversely impacting city residents.

"The Delhi government has decided to put a complete ban on the sale, purchase, and use of firecrackers in Delhi from November 7 to November 30."

"The government has also decided to increase targeted testing at crowded places across Delhi, such as markets, mobile testing vans will be deployed in markets and crowded places across Delhi. The testing can be availed free of cost by the people at these places," he said.

Kejriwal also said that "all steps should be taken to maintain the lower fatality rate in Delhi. At present, Delhi is in the 17th position in terms of the deaths per million population due to corona despite a decrease in the number of cases, far behind all metropolitan cities in the country."

In the meeting, the preparedness for COVID treatment along with a need for advanced planning to deal with corona was reviewed and it was also decided to augment the bed capacity in the Delhi government hospitals.

Kejriwal in the meeting said that the medical infrastructure will be ramped up, with an increase in the oxygen and ICU beds in the Delhi government hospitals for the treatment of corona patients.

With regard to reserving beds in private hospitals, he said that the Delhi High Court has stayed the Delhi government's order to increase ICU beds in private hospitals. The Delhi government has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court, to lift the stay on the reservation of beds in private hospitals, keeping in view the critical situation.

The review meeting, convened by Kejriwal, was attended by Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, Delhi Revenue Minister Kailash Gehlot, Chief Secretary of Delhi, Health department officials, District Magistrates, and Revenue officials.