Delhi has reported more than 3.7 lakh of Covid cases since the outbreak began in India in January (archive)
New Delhi:
Delhi’s Health Minister Satyender Jain has said it is too early to say whether the one-day record rise of 5,673 cases in the national capital signals the start of a third wave of COVID-19 infections in the city.
“We should wait and watch the trend for a week. We won’t be able to say anything in definite terms until then. It’s too early to call it a third wave yet. But, it could be a possibility,” said Mr. Jain, who has been monitoring the preparation of health centers in Delhi amid pandemic.
Delhi has registered an average of more than 4,000 cases during the past week. On Monday it recorded 4,853 new coronavirus cases for the first time and broke that record two days later, a worrying sign, especially as COVID-19 levels have shown a drastic drop nationwide.
Stating that the increase in cases was not unexpected, Jain added: “This is festival season and it has also gotten a bit cold. We have made some changes to our strategy. Now when a person tests positive, so does their entire family and all of your close contacts. We do this not just once but twice, the second time after 4-5 days. “
Unlike before, when we used to wait for symptoms to appear in family members and other close contacts, the entire circle of contacts is being tested right away, Satyender Jain said.
Our goal is to ensure that not a single case is lost, he said in the context of a proposed meeting of senior officials today to discuss prevention and repression measures in Delhi.
“This (increased testing) could be one reason the numbers are increasing. But it is the best strategy to contain this disease. Ware is hopeful that we will see good results soon. We have also strengthened contact tracing.” Mr. Jain said. whose condition had deteriorated after contracting COVID-19, and recovered with plasma therapy.
He added that 5,000 beds were being used in Delhi to treat Covid patients and 10,000 were available for those who might need it, ensuring that the city is prepared to handle an increase should it occur.
Delhi has 29,378 active Covid cases, more than 3.7 lakh of cases in total, with 6,396 deaths related to the virus.
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