There are no plans to put Delhi under a lockdown, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday, after chairing a meeting with top officials that was called over the recent surge in the number of coronavirus cases in the national capital.
“In the last few days, COVID-19 cases have been increasing exponentially in Delhi. However, there is no need to worry. We are monitoring the situation well. Despite a surge in daily cases, the situation is less serious than compared to the last waves due to a lower death rate,” he saud,
“Last year in October, there were nearly 40-50 deaths per day due to COVID-19. The situation is not the same now. The daily death toll due to the virus is around 10-12 persons. Thus, there is no need for a lockdown in Delhi,” the Chief Minister said.
The “urgent” meeting by the Chief Minister with the Health Minister and other officials was called following the Thursday surge in covid cases. On Thursday, the city reported 2,790 new coronavirus cases – its highest daily figure this year – along with nine deaths.
The Chief Minister also informed that in the last 24-hour, the national capital has reported 3,583 new cases of coronavirus.
In a bid to curb the surge that has been seen in the recent past across the country, the Delhi government has urged everyone to maintain covid-19 behaviour, with warning that anyone who flouts covid-19 guidelines will have to face stringent actions.
The Delhi CM again urged Centre to open up the vaccination drive for all age groups, saying, “Centre should allow states to vaccinate everyone on war footing. Need to involve non-healthcare facilities in inoculation drive.”