Daily peak of Covid in nation’s capital had started to climb to unprecedented levels
New Delhi:
A 12-point plan to tackle the coronavirus in Delhi was adopted at a meeting tonight between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, which includes infrastructure such as additional intensive care beds and oxygen cylinders and more medical staff. In a series of tweets, Mr Shah announced the measures – one of which also includes doubling coronavirus testing in the city and monitoring people isolated at home.
After the meeting, Mr Kejriwal said the Center will make arrangements for 750 hospital beds in all facilities of the intensive care units for Covid patients in Delhi.
As of October 20, coronavirus cases have been on the rise in Delhi but intensive care beds were not there, Kejriwal told reporters. “The Center has assured that 750 intensive care beds will be made available at the DRDO center. The number of COVID-19 tests carried out daily will be increased to more than 1 lakh,” he added.
There are also plans to increase the number of tests performed from 60,000 per day to 1 lakh, he added.
With coronavirus cases on an upward spiral in Delhi since the start of November, there has been an acute shortage of intensive care beds for Covid patients. The Delhi High Court last week allowed the government to have 80% of beds in 33 private hospitals for coronavirus patients.
The daily peak of Covid in the nation’s capital began to climb to unprecedented levels 12 days ago.
As of November 3, the city had registered 6,725 cases after a few weeks of low numbers. Three days later, it broke the 7,000 mark. On November 11, the city registered 8,593 new cases, a record high.
