'Delhi Govt to double COVID-19 testing after spike in positive cases,' says CM Kejriwal

In light of the rise in positive COVID-19 cases in the national capital over the last few days, the Delhi government has decided to double the number of tests for Coronavirus, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday.

A total of 20,000 tests were conducted in Delhi on a daily basis, but the number will be doubled and the government will try to achieve 40,000 tests per day in one week’s time, he added.

“Our strategy will remain the same as before. Test and isolate. We will aggressively identify COVID-19 patients and isolate them to prevent the spread of the infection,” Kejriwal said in a press briefing.

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The Chief Minister said that the COVID-19 situation has been under control for over one and a half month in Delhi. However, since the last couple of days, the positive cases have witnessed a surge. Since August 17, around 13,000 cases were being reported on a daily basis, but on Tuesday, the daily toll rose to 16,093.

CM Arvind Kejriwal further said that other parameters are still under control with the recovery rate exceeding 90% while fatality dropping to 1.04% in the national capital. On a daily basis, less than 20 COVID-19 deaths are reported in Delhi and sometimes the death toll is below 10, he added. As of date, 14,130 beds are available in the city, of which 10,500 beds are vacant.

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Oximeters for symptomatic patients

Kejriwal pointed out that some patients were still suffering from COVID-19 symptoms even after recovery, resulting in their unfortunate deaths. Symptoms such as difficulty in breathing and lack of oxygen persist in a few patients that eventually cause their death.

In order to prevent this from happening, the Delhi government has decided to provide oxygen concentrators to patients at their home after recovery, if the Coronavirus symptoms persist. The oximeters will be provided free of cost to the patients. The government will also ensure the strict compliance of home isolation and COVID-19 protocols.

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