Coronavirus has not spread in Delhi, no need to panic: Kejriwal

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said coronavirus has not spread in Delhi and that there is no need to panic, even as the national capital reported 91 new cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number to 384.

According to an official update later in the evening, 93 new cases and two deaths were recorded in the past twenty four hours.

The chief minister said that out of the 384 cases, 259 are linked to Nizammuddin Markaz, a major hotspot of COVID-19, and one more person evacuated from it died due to coronavirus. Seventy-seven persons who were among those evacuated from Markaz tested positive for coronavirus on Friday.

Of the 384 cases in Delhi so far, 58 had recent foreign travel history and 38 contracted the virus after coming in contact with them, he added.

Kejriwal said community spread of the virus is not taking place in Delhi yet and there is no need to panic as the situation is under control.

"The figure for cases that have arisen through local contact and transmission is constant and stable, which gives us hope that there is no spreading of coronavirus in Delhi." 

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He said the efforts of the Delhi and central governments, and the people have been able to stop the spread of the virus in Delhi, as a result of which the cases of local transmission have been just 38. 

''The government has made preparations if the virus starts spreading among people in the city," he said.

"I am holding regular meetings with the health department of Delhi and the doctors. God forbid, if there is an outbreak of corona, we are fully prepared to handle the situation," he said.

The chief minister also launched a WhatsApp helpline - 8800007722 for people to enquire about COVID-19, food banks, shelters among others.

Introducing a COVID-19 helpline chatbot to provide all information pertaining to it,  Kejriwal said, "The Delhi government is issuing the WhatsApp number today which will provide all information related to coronavirus.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and experts will interact with students and answer their queries related to the virus at 3 pm on Saturday. 

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