No need to panic as cases very mild, don’t need hospitalisation, says Kejriwal n
Delhi registered 3,194 fresh cases of coronavirus on Sunday and the positivity rate rose to 4.59 per cent. By all accounts, this seems to be an alarming scenario, experts feel.
The active caseload in the city now stands at 8,397, according to the Delhi State Health Covid-19 bulletins. One person succumbed to the infection in the last 24 hours.
Addressing the media virtually, Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal said though the number of daily Covid-19 cases and active cases are increasing in the city, there is no need to panic as those are very mild and do not need hospitalisation.
“99.78 per cent Covid beds are vacant in Delhi hospitals while only 0.22 per cent have been occupied. Patients coming to hospitals not requiring oxygen support; 37,000 beds being prepared to stay ahead of the virus,” he said.
Kejriwal cited the data of the Delhi State health department and claimed that despite an increase in the number of cases, bed occupancy in hospitals is even lesser than one per cent and is very low as compared to last year’s deadly second wave of coronavirus in April.
“Active Covid-19 cases rose from about 2,000 on December 29, 2021, to 6,000 on January 1, but the number of patients in hospitals dipped during this period. On December 29, 2021, as many as 262 beds were occupied while on January 1 it was 247 only,” said Kejriwal, adding, “On March 27 last year, Delhi had 6,600 active cases and 1,150 oxygen beds were occupied. As many as 145 patients were on ventilator compared to five now.”
“Currently, the number of active cases in the city is 6,360, and today (Sunday) 3,100 new cases are expected to be reported. All cases are mild and in most of the patients don’t need hospitalisation,” the CM said.
According to the Delhi Government’s database, only 82 oxygen beds have been occupied; most patients recovering at home, “Only 5 patients on the ventilator at present while 231 were on ventilators in April 2021,” he added.