Covid-19 situation in Delhi unprecedented, says Niti Aayog but govt won’t impose lockdown

Delhi recorded a single-day spike of 8,500 cases and overall 51,000 cases last week. But Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain on Monday clarified that there were no plans to reimpose the lockdown.

Delhi contributed the most to the country’s fresh coronavirus (Covid-19) cases in the last week. Currently, the national capital has over four lakh cases of Covid-19.

However, in a meeting chaired by Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday, Niti Aayog’s Dr VK Paul described the Delhi situation as “unprecedented” and added that “it is likely to become worse”, according to two officials present at the meeting. (Amal KS/HT PHOTO)

It recorded a single-day spike of 8,500 cases and overall 51,000 cases last week. But Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain on Monday clarified that there were no plans to reimpose the lockdown. “There will be no reimposition of lockdown in Delhi. I don’t think it will be an effective step now; wearing of masks will be more beneficial,” Jain told news agency ANI. He added that Delhi has crossed the peak of the third wave of infections.

However, in a meeting chaired by Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday, Niti Aayog’s Dr VK Paul described the Delhi situation as “unprecedented” and added that “it is likely to become worse”, according to two officials present at the meeting.

Shah, in his meeting, told officials concerned that availability of beds with oxygen facilities had to be increased, the 10,000-bed Chhatarpur Covid centre to be further strengthened and RT-PCR tests had to be doubled, among other things. Mobile testing vans belonging to the Union health ministry and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will also be deployed in vulnerable places in the national capital, it was decided in the meeting.

“Chaired a meeting to review the surge in Delhi’s Covid-19 cases and take stock of medical infrastructure here. In May, the Modi government took a series of steps with the Delhi government to save the people from the virus. We all witnessed the positive results,” Shah tweeted on Sunday.

Meanwhile, after attending the meeting with Shah, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that the number of daily Covid-19 tests would be increased to over 1 lakh. “Since October 20, there has been a rise in cases here. There’s sufficient number of Covid beds but ICU beds are exhausting. Centre has assured 750 ICU beds will be made available at the DRDO centre. The number of Covid tests to be conducted daily to be increased to over 1 lakh,” Kejriwal announced.

Experts have pointed at the ongoing festive season, onset of winter and an increase in air pollution as the major reasons for the sudden spike Covid-19 cases in Delhi. Rising air pollution coupled with the coronavirus disease could make matters worse for people with lung or breathing-related complications, doctors have cautioned.

“It’s a combined effect of the festive season, decrease in temperature and increased pollution. Experts had also suggested that at this time Covid-19 cases could rise,” Jain told news agency ANI last week.