Delhi CM Kejriwal recovers from COVID in five days; says 'Wear masks to avoid lockdown'

In a major relief, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced that he has recovered from COVID and is 'ready to serve people again'. The AAP convenor is set to address a press conference virtually at 12 PM on Sunday. Kejriwal had tested positive for COVID mere five days ago, leading to AAP cancelling all its rallies in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.

Kejriwal recovers from COVID

Addressing a virtual press conference, Kejriwal assured, "Data shows that being alert is important but there is nothing to worry about. Wearing mask in very important. There would be no lockdown if masks are worn. I urge all to get vaccinated to not get infected seriously".

On Tuesday, the AAP supremo revealed that he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. He tweeted that he had isolated himself at his residence after experiencing mild symptoms. Moreover, he urged those who came in touch with him to also isolate themselves and undergo a COVID-19 test.

A day earlier, Kejriwal had attended a massive rally of AAP in Uttarakhand, where the party is seeking to make inroads in the upcoming polls. Moreover, he also visited poll-bound Punjab from December 30 to January 1 and participated in several mass gatherings. This includes a 'Shanti Yatra' in Patiala where he was seen marching alongside hundreds of people without wearing a mask.

Apart from Kejriwal, many other politicians have tested positive for COVID amid hectic political rallying for 5 state elections. Those infected include - Union Ministers Bharati Pravin Pawar, Nityanand Rai, Mahendra Nath Pandey. On state level, several ministers in Bihar - Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi, Ashok Choudhary and Sunil Kumar and ex-CM Jitan Ram Manjhi have tested COVID positive. In Maharashtra, the highest infected state - more than 10 ministers and at least 20 MLAs in the state had tested positive for coronavirus including Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad and Women and Child Welfare Minister Yashomati Thakur.

Delhi's COVID spike

Similar to the nation's financial capital - Mumbai, the national capital - Delhi too has been witnessing a major spike in the third wave of COVID-19 - mainly triggered by the Omicron variant of the infection. On Saturday, the city clocked 20,181 infections in a single day, while the positivity rate rose to 19.60 per cent. Seven more fatalities were recorded in Delhi due to COVID. According to data shared by the health department, 1,586 people are admitted in hospitals, accounting for 11.24 per cent of 14,106 dedicated Covid beds.