'Alright if people are infected and then recover but don't want spike in cases': Delhi CM

Even as Coronavirus cases surged to 13,418 in the national capital, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday that the situation is under control and there is no need to panic.

Providing details on the status of COVID-19 in Delhi after one week of relaxing the lockdown, Kejriwal said, though there is an upsurge in positive cases, a large number of people have also recovered from the disease. However, he expressed concerns over the rise in the virus death toll.

“The only concern is the rise in COVID-19 deaths. As we are aware, the pandemic will remain for a long time. It is alright if people are infected and then recover in time. However, we want do not want an overwhelming number of positive cases as that would increase the pressure on our healthcare systems,” the Chief Minister said in a press briefing.

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Sufficient healthcare facilities

Providing details on the Government’s preparedness to tackle the crisis situation, Kejriwal said that as of date, a total of 3,839 beds are available in Government COVID-19 hospitals of which, 3,164 have oxygen facility. Out of these, only 1,478 beds are occupied by patients, and rest are vacant. Besides these, 250 ventilators are available in government hospitals, of which, only 11 are occupied.

Speaking of the private sector, the CM said that 677 beds are available in Delhi’s private hospitals, of these 509 are in use. Considering the situation, the Government has passed orders to private hospitals and nursing homes to reserve 20 percent of beds for Coronavirus patients. Along with this, 72 ventilators are available in private centers, and only 15 are in use. Kejriwal said that additional 2,000 beds have been made available in private hospitals on Monday to support medical facilities in the capital state.

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Coronavirus crises in Delhi

The Chief Minister said that most positive cases in Delhi either have mild symptoms or asymptomatic. These patients are not admitted to the hospital and are advised home quarantine. The state health department monitors the health of such patients at all times. Presently, 3,314 Coronavirus patients are being treated at home.

“In the last week, since the relaxations of lockdown, nearly 3,500 positive cases have been reported in Delhi, while nearly 2,500 have been discharged after recovery,” said Arvind Kejriwal.

The death toll due has risen to 261 in Delhi, while the total number of infections stands at 13,418 with 508 new cases reported on Sunday. The total active cases have risen to 6,617 in the city.

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