New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: Amid the concerns over the potential emergence of the third wave of the COVID-19, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday said that the Delhi government is preparing for the worst-case scenario and setting up 37,000 beds for COVID patients. Jain also emphasised that if the positivity rate in the national capital reaches 5 per cent then a lockdown will be immediately imposed.
In an event in Delhi, Satyendar Jain said that the government was preparing to combat the pandemic’s next wave, assuming a worst-case scenario, so more and more lives could be saved from this deadly pathogen. “Over 37,000 dedicated beds for COVID-19 patients are being set up presently and the Delhi government is preparing for the worst-case scenario so that it can save precious lives,” he said as quoted by news agency PTI.
The city government has learnt from the experiences of the second wave, and is taking all necessary measures to combat any potential wave and building all necessary health infrastructure from installing PSA oxygen plants to settings up more oxygen, ventilator and ICU beds”, Jain said.
The minister emphasised being vigilant and following Covid-appropriate behaviour which is crucial in checking the spread of coronavirus. “We have made public what our response would be. If the positivity rate now goes up to 5 per cent, then we will go for an immediate lockdown without delay,” he added.
While addressing questions on the second wave, Jain said, “We were caught off guard because of oxygen shortage and the logistical issues of procuring it, but now over 50 oxygen plants have already been built, and more are in the pipeline, so that such a problem doesn’t arise again.”
“The cases are increasing again in the UK and the US, thus we must not drop our guard at this point. All possible efforts are being made to ensure that a third wave doesn’t come and if at all it comes, we are to be prepared for the worst,” he said.
This came on when a total of 61 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the national capital on Thursday while two people succumbed to the deadly virus taking the overall death toll to 25,060.
The positivity rate in Delhi decreased further and reached 0.08 per cent. No death due to COVID-19 was recorded in Delhi on Wednesday, while 67 fresh cases were reported with a positivity rate of 0.09 per cent.
Delhi had been reeling under a brutal second wave of the pandemic that is sweeping the country, claiming a massive number of lives daily, with the recent oxygen supply shortage issue at various hospitals, adding to the woes.
However, the number of cases have shown a downward trend and the positivity rate too has been shrinking in the last several days. The number of deaths per day has also been showing a decline in the last couple of days.
