Kejriwal govt's big step: 1 lakh random COVID-19 tests to be conducted in Delhi hotspots

The Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led state government in the national capital will conduct over 1 lakh tests in the next few days in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. News agency ANI reported that random testing will be done in hotspots and a large number of quarantine centres are being set up in Delhi. Kejriwal will do a news briefing at 1 PM on Tuesday about a 5-point plan, formed in the view of an increase in the number of cases in Delhi.

'Delhi's testing capacity increased'

The Delhi government has decided to conduct large-scale testing for Coronavirus so that infected people are identified and isolated at the earliest, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday, asserting that this will ensure containment of the disease in the national capital. The number of coronavirus cases rose by 30 to 532 on Monday in Delhi. So far, Delhi has reported seven fatalities. 

Addressing an online briefing, the Chief Minister said that in the last few days, cases of coronavirus have suddenly spiked in Delhi and one of the reasons behind it is the Tablighi Jamaat event in Nizamuddin. Kejriwal said of 523 cases, 330 are from the Tablighi Jamaat's Nizamuddin centre, which has emerged as a major hotspot for the infection not only in Delhi but in the country.

Scaling up testing will ensure containment of the deadly disease in the national capital, he said. "Our testing capacity around March 25 was 100-125 people per day, which increased to 500 people per day after April 1. We are now reaching a capacity of around 1,000 tests per day," he said. The Centre had allotted 27,000 PPE kits for Delhi, Kejriwal said.

Coronavirus pandemic in India

PM Modi on Monday asked Union Ministers to prepare plans to fight the economic impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic, on a war footing and asserted that this crisis is an opportunity to boost the 'Make-in-India' initiative and reduce dependence on other countries.

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Total confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India have risen to 4,421, according to the Union Health Ministry. Reported active cases of COVID-19 in the country currently stands at 3,981 and the death toll from the novel coronavirus pandemic has reached 114. The Health Ministry, in its latest update, has said that 326 COVID-19 patients have recovered so far

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(With agency inputs)