Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will hold a meeting on Friday to review the Union Territory’s Covid preparedness. The results of mock drills at government-run hospitals will be presented at the meeting, along with information on how other states are handling the situation.
Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that the government is closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation in the capital city, reported news agency PTI. Bharadwaj assured the public that there is no need to panic, as the hospitalisation rate remains low. However, the number of cases has surged to nearly 300, the first time since August 31 last year, with a positivity rate of 13.89%. Two COVID-related deaths were also reported.
Bharadwaj held a meeting on Thursday with several health officials, epidemiologists, virologists, genome sequencing experts, and medical directors of government-run hospitals. The meeting aimed to review the current situation and the steps being taken to control the spread of the virus.
Despite the rising positivity rate, the government has urged the public not to panic, stating that tests are being conducted in small numbers. The health department has reassured citizens that they are taking all necessary measures to contain the spread of the virus and provide medical attention to those in need. Hospitals have been instructed to advise coronavirus tests for symptomatic individuals, and people visiting hospitals should wear masks.
The government is also monitoring how the new variant is behaving or spreading in other states. Bharadwaj emphasised the importance of early detection to curb the spread of the virus. He shared details of the tests being conducted daily in Delhi. According to the PTI report, he also said the health department will continue to issue advisories and increase testing on a need basis.
Bharadwaj also discussed the advisory issued by the central government, which highlighted six states where COVID-19 cases are increasing: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. Bharadwaj revealed that a pattern had been noticed in the spread of the virus in metropolitan areas, such as Mumbai and Delhi. The indicators showed that cases often increased in Delhi just a few weeks after a spike in Maharashtra. As both cities are major hubs for international travel, he urged citizens to continue following COVID-19 guidelines and protocols to prevent the further spread of the virus.
Hospital administrations on Thursday were asked to maintain their preparations with full promptness, reported PTI. If needed, the number of COVID-19 beds can be increased to several thousand using the resources of the hospitals and their surroundings, as was done during the previous surge in cases. The government continues to emphasise the importance of wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, and following other preventive measures to prevent the spread of the virus.