Covid-19: No need to panic, says Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal | Key points

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal chaired a meeting on Thursday as the national capital finds itself on the verge of a fresh wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday addressed a virtual press conference as the national capital finds itself on the verge of a fresh wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The city recorded 536 new cases on March 17, making it the first time in two months that it saw more than 500 fresh daily infections.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal (HT File Photo)

Delhi’s Covid-19 tally stood at 645,025 as of Wednesday night. This includes 631,375 recoveries, 10,948 related deaths and 2,702 active cases, as per the health department.

Here’s a look at some key points from CM Kejriwal’s address:

(1.) ‘No need to panic’: The chief minister said the increase in Covid cases in the city was “marginal” and there was no need to panic. “We are following the situation closely,” Kejriwal said.

(2.) ‘Leniency crept in’: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor pointed at “leniency,” that he said, crept into the system due to low number of daily coronavirus cases, further announcing that strict instructions have been issued with regards to tracing, testing, isolation and surveillance.

(3.) ‘Avoid vaccine hesitancy’: Kejriwal urged people to not hesitate in getting vaccinated against the viral disease. The CM gave example of himself and his parents; they received their first jabs on March 4. All those who are eligible for a shot should take it, he said.

(4.) ‘125,000 doses to be administered daily’: He also said that the daily number of vaccine doses being administered will be increased from 30,000-40,000 to 125,000. Kejriwal further announced that the number of vaccination centres will be doubled from 500 to 1,000.

(5.) ‘Relax vaccination guidelines’: The Delhi CM urged the central government to relax various norms pertaining to vaccination centres. He also urged the Centre to make a list of people who are not eligible for inoculation, and make vaccination open to all others. Kejriwal added that if rules are relaxed, the Delhi government will vaccinate all the residents of the city in three months.