The hotel industry in Delhi gave a sigh of relief. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on July 29 ordered the delinking of hotels from hospitals. Earlier hotels undertook this to enhance the availability of beds for Covid-19 patients. The government took this decision in view of hospitals not needing such hotel beds. The COVID situation in Delhi also improved. The capital now has less than 11,000 active cases. And more than 88% of the patients have recovered in Delhi. Earlier, the capital also permitted street vendors and hawkers to operate from 10 am to 8 pm.
Hotels In Delhi Released From COVID Duty
Kejriwal tweeted on July 29 stating, “Some hotels were attached to hospitals to increase the number of COVID beds. In view of the improving situation and all hotel beds lying vacant for the last many days, these hotels are now being released.”
Some hotels were attached to hospitals to increase the number of COVID beds. In view of the improving situation and all hotel beds lying vacant for the last many days, these hotels are now being released.
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) July 29, 2020
Earlier this June, around 40 hotels, including luxury hotels like Hyatt Regency and Pullman, were attached to various government and private hospitals to function as extended facilities of the medical institutions. This enhanced the city’s availability of COVID beds by 4,600. The government aimed to take the pressure off the COVID-designated hospitals that could then provide more attention to critical corona patients.
However, even at a time when Delhi reported nearly 4,000 new cases in a single day, many beds in government and private COVID centres remained vacant. This led the government to believe it could release the hotels from this responsibility without causing any strain on the COVID hospitals.
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Delhi Successfully Tackled The Coronavirus Situation
After the number of COVID cases began increasing in early June, the government increased COVID beds in hospitals. It also requisitioned around three dozen hotels as secondary COVID centres. The government even won the case when some hotel owners went to court against the decision.
However, since then, the beds in these hotels have never been needed. A government official stated to TOI “With the efforts of the Chief Minister, the COVID condition in the capital has improved significantly. At present, there are only around 11,000 active cases. Of the over 15,000 COVID beds, more than 12,000 are vacant.”
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According to official data on July 29, Delhi had only 10,770 active COVID cases. Out of the 1.3 lakh reported so far. Of the 16,000 COVID beds in government and private hospitals, 12,980 beds were unoccupied. While 5,000 of the 10,000 beds in dedicated COVID care centres were similarly unused. In the meantime get an insight into the hotel industry with OYO’s India & South Asia CEO, Rohit Kapoor.