Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to hold Covid-19 review meet with L-G Anil Baijal

The meeting comes a day after Delhi reported 17,282 fresh cases, the highest single-day spike the national Capital has seen so far

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will meet Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal today to discuss the city’s Covid-19 situation.

Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal (left) and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. (Raj K Raj/HT PHOTO)

The meeting comes a day after Delhi reported 17,282 fresh cases, the highest single-day spike the national Capital has seen so far. The number of daily Covid deaths has also been increasing, with 104 deaths recorded on Wednesday alone.

“In view of the spread of Covid-19 infection, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal will discuss the situation with the Lieutenant Governor at 11am on Thursday,” the chief minister’s office said.

An official, however, clarified that this is not a Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) meeting, which last took place on April 9.

“The cases are increasing rapidly. This is a meeting to review the situation because there’s an urgent need to do the same. Everything from hospital beds, hospital management, Covid deaths, vaccination to exploring the implications of a lockdown if required will be discussed,” said a government official on condition of anonymity.

Delhi’s positivity rate—the proportion of samples that test positive—has also spiked to 15.92 %, a sharp rise from 13.14 % on Tuesday.

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday termed the Covid-19 situation in Delhi as “worrisome” and issued a stark warning asking people to step out of their homes only if it is urgent.

With a sharp rise in deaths due to the latest surge in Covid-19, crematoriums and burial grounds in the city are struggling to manage resources.

On Wednesday, health minister Satyendar Jain said that the Covid-19 cases are rising very rapidly every single day and “there is no slow down” in the spread of the pandemic in the national capital.