“We have been conducting mock drills,” he added.
New Delhi:
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said that residents of the national capital don’t need to worry about the surge in Covid cases, as the government was prepared for any eventuality. 7,986 beds for Covid patients are ready in Delhi hospitals, he said, adding that the government has sufficient oxygen cylinders.
Mr Kejriwal said the XBB 1.16 variant of Covid is the predominant one at present, accounting for 48 per cent of all positive cases. “It spreads rapidly but is not severe,” he said, but this variant is infecting even those who are fully vaccinated.
“We have been conducting mock drills,” he said.
295 cases were reported on March 30, he informed, and said there have been three deaths linked to comorbidities in Delhi.
Mr Kejriwal said the government has been testing sewage to pre-empt a possible return of the virus. All the cases are also being sent for genome sequencing to timely identify new variants if any, he said.
All Delhi government hospitals have been directed to maintain isolation wards for Covid patients, Mr Kejriwal further said.
The Delhi Chief Minister was addressing the media after a review meeting attended by all top officials.
Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj had earlier also assured people that there was no need to panic since the hospitalisation rate was low.
“We reviewed the situation. We have asked hospitals to advise coronavirus tests to those who are symptomatic. People visiting hospitals should wear masks,” he had said.
The city has been witnessing an increase in the number of daily Covid cases over the last few days amid a sharp rise in H3N2 influenza cases in the country.
The number of fresh cases had seen a decline over the last few months in Delhi. It had dropped to zero on January 16, the first time since the pandemic broke out.
Source link: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/we-are-fully-prepared-to-face-any-eventuality-nothing-to-worry-delhi-chief-minister-arvind-kejriwal-on-covid-spike-3908543