A lockdown will not be imposed in Delhi, where coronavirus cases are on the rise at present. Jain said a lockdown is not the solution to COVID-19 and that people must learn to live with the virus, said Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on March 27.
“There is no possibility of lockdown. There has already been a lockdown and there was a logic behind it. At that time, no one knew how the virus spreads. It was then said that there is a 14-day cycle from being infected to ending the infection. Then the expert said that if all the activities are locked for 21 days, the virus will stop spreading. Even then the lockdown kept extending but despite this, the coronavirus spread did not stop. I think lockdown is not a solution,” Jain said.
Highlighting the steps taken by the Delhi government to contain COVID-19 case rise, Jain said: “There were fewer cases earlier, but it has now increased. So, we have increased the number of COVID-19 tests and are conducting 85,000-90,000 tests every day, which is more than five percent of the national average. We are also doing contact random testing, contact tracing and isolation.”
He added that 80 percent of the general and ICU beds in COVID-19 hospitals are empty at the moment, but beds will be increased if need be.
He said: “Hospitals have been provided with a sufficient number of beds. The occupancy is around 20 percent, with around 80 percent of beds being unoccupied. However, in the case of requirement, we would definitely increase the number of beds.
"For instance, there are 500 beds in Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital, but the occupancy is only around 20-25. Hence, the number of beds available is sufficient. The rate of occupancy for ICU beds too is 20 percent, the point being in LNJP we have 300 ICU beds. Even in Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital, out of a total of 500, 300 are ICU beds. So, a large number of ICU beds are being provided, and we would increase them if required.”
The AAP leader said that the “concrete reason” behind the rise in daily COVID-19 cases being reported in Delhi is not known, so people will have to follow all the safety measures strictly and wear masks in public places even if they have got vaccinated.
Delhi recorded 1,558 new COVID-19 cases on March 27 along with 10 related deaths -- the highest reported in around 2.5 months -- taking the toll to 10,997.
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