Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday that the Covid-19 situation in the national capital is “fully under control” despite the recent spike in daily cases, urging people not to hesitate to come out. and get tested.
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At a digital press conference, the prime minister said that testing has nearly doubled to 40,000 tests per day and that camps are now being set up at mohalla clinics, weekly markets, interstate bus terminals and construction sites. Kejriwal’s comments came a day after Delhi recorded 2,914 Covid-19 cases on Friday, the highest since June 28, when 2,889 cases were recorded in a single day.
“In recent days, Covid cases in Delhi have increased and people are worrying about it. I spoke with several experts. Some call it a second wave, others say it is not. But putting all these technical aspects aside, I have reviewed the whole situation for the last 4-5 days and I want to assure everyone that the situation in Delhi is well under control, ”Kejriwal said.
He explained that the reason Covid-19 cases are increasing again in the city is due to increased testing. “From 18,000 to 20,000 tests per day, we are now running around 40,000 tests. Therefore, more people are identified, treated, and isolated to prevent them from spreading the infection to others. Today, if I decrease the number of tests, the number of daily cases will also decrease and everyone will be happy. The only way to defeat Covid-19 is to conduct aggressive testing. There is nothing to be scared of, ”he said.
Delhi carried out 36,219 tests on Friday, the highest so far in the city. Like on Friday, Delhi performed 84,251 tests per million, the highest in India.
The prime minister also tried to allay fears that beds may not be available for Covid treatment and said the government has a plan ready in case beds need to be increased in the city. Senior government officials said the drill would be the same, to requisition more hospitals, hotels and banquet halls than in May and June.
He said that out of more than 14,000 Covid beds in Delhi hospitals, only around 5,000 are currently occupied. “The rate of admission to hospitals has been almost constant in recent weeks. Of the 5,000, around 1,600 to 1,700 beds are occupied by people coming from other states to receive treatment for Covid. In the past five years, the Delhi government has improved the city’s health infrastructure in such a way that now people from all over the country come to the capital for treatment. If necessary, we will increase the beds, ”Kejriwal said.
Delhi has seen an increase in the positivity rate from 5.9% to 9%, which means that the capital has the fifth worst figure in the country. The resurgence of cases in Delhi has seen its doubling rate drop from nearly 90 days to 57.7 days, the biggest change among the states analyzed. However, it still has the best doubling rate in India, a point reiterated by Kejriwal at the press conference.
The prime minister also urged people not to be complacent and careless and to strictly follow preventive measures from Covid-19. “Some people don’t get tested. People say that everyone is on the mend today, so you don’t need to get tested. No, go and get tested. Please also wear masks when you go out and follow the physical distance, ”he said.
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