'Will ramp up Covid-19 testing, conduct over 80k tests daily': Satyendar Jain

Jain further said an order was issued to increase the number of beds in ICU wards of private hospitals catering to Covid-19 patients, adding that there were enough hospital beds available for Covid-19 patients in government-run hospitals.

Delhi's health minister Satyendar Jain has said that the Aam Aadmi party (AAP) government will increase the number of people being tested per day for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the national capital from Wednesday. Jain said his government will take the number to over 80,000, according to news agency ANI.

Delhi health minster Satyendar Jain attributed the rising number of cases to the fact that many people were still not wearing face masks. (ANI Twitter)

He further said an order was issued to increase the number of beds in ICU wards of private hospitals catering to Covid-19 patients, adding that there were enough hospital beds available for Covid-19 patients in government-run hospitals.

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"From today, we're going to increase testing to over 80,000 tests daily. Yesterday, the government issued an order for increasing 220 beds in ICU wards in private hospitals for Covid-19 patients. There is just 25 per cent occupancy in private and government hospitals in Delhi," Jain said.

Delhi reported 992 coronavirus cases on Tuesday, while four more people died due to the disease, the health department said. The decline in the number of infections on Tuesday is being attributed to the fall in the number of testing on the account of Holi.

Meanwhile, over 38,000 people in the national capital received Covid-19 vaccine shots by 6pm on Tuesday, officials said.

As many as 6,702 people got their second dose of the vaccine, they said, adding that 2,306 frontline workers and 1,539 healthcare workers got their first shots.

Amid the sudden spike in cases, Jain last week dismissed the possibility of imposing another lockdown in the city, saying it was not a solution to check the spread of the pandemic that was resurfacing.

(with agency inputs)