As Covid-19 cases rise in Delhi, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal says testing will be doubled

The chief minister said that currently, 20,000 tests are being done in Delhi which will be increased to 40,000 per day. Kejriwal once again appealed to the people to not shy away from getting tested.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday that the state government will double the testing for Covid-19 infection in the national capital. The announcement came as Delhi recorded a spike in the number of new cases of the coronavirus disease.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal addressed a press conference on the Covid-19 situation in the national capital on Wednesday.(ANI Photo)

“Delhi has seen a marginal rise in the number of cases in the last few days, though other numbers are in control. In the coming days, we will double the testing for the coronavirus testing,” Kejriwal said at a press conference.

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The chief minister said that currently, 20,000 tests are being done in Delhi which will be increased to 40,000 per day.

“It is good that the people of Delhi have become confident, but it shouldn’t lead to complacency. People should always wear masks,” he added. Kejriwal further said that the government will provide pulse oxymetre and oxygen concentrators to households.

Watch l ‘Will conduct 40,000 tests per day’: Arvind Kejriwal on Covid crisis in Delhi 

He once again appealed to the people to not shy away from getting tested. “It is very important to keep yourself and others in your vicinity safe. If you feel there are symptoms of Covid-19, get yourself tested. If you don’t do this, you will unnecessarily put others at risk,” said Kejriwal.

Delhi on Tuesday recorded 1,544 new cases of Covid-19, the highest single-day increase in infections in the city in 40 days.

After witnessing a drop in cases in the past few weeks, infections in Delhi have started rising again, with experts warning against complacency, which, they said, may cause a resurgence of the outbreak.

At the end of June, the city was reporting over 3,400 cases every day at an average, which then dropped in the 900s in the first week of August. In the last week, Delhi has added 1,333 cases every day on average – the highest the weekly case trajectory has touched since July 21.