City registers 295 Covid cases, positivity rate 12.48%

| | New Delhi
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City registers 295 Covid cases, positivity rate 12.48%

Friday, 31 March 2023 | Staff Reporter | New Delhi

Delhi recorded 295 fresh Covid cases on Thursday with a positivity rate of 12.48 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department. On Wednesday, the city had logged 300 cases, the first time since August 31, and two deaths while the positivity rate had mounted to 13.89 per cent.

Meanwile, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj  on Thursday held a meeting with all stakeholders to review the COVID-19 situation in the national capital said that the COVID situation in the capital is not alarming and the department was fully prepared to tackle any surge in cases.

 Bharadwaj assured people that there was no need to panic since the hospitalisation rate was low. The Centre also focuses on the six states — Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Delhi — where a surge has been witnessed.

The meeting saw the attendance of virologists, epidemiologists, genome sequencing experts, the Director General Health Services, Special Secretary Health, and other senior officials of the Health Department, closely observed the current situation of COVID-19 in Delhi.

The meet came a day after Delhi's COVID-19 cases climbed to 300 for the first time since August 31 last year, while the positivity rate rose to 13.89 per cent, according to the data shared by the health department. Two Covid-related deaths were also reported, it said.

"We reviewed the situation. We have asked hospitals to advise coronavirus tests to those who are symptomatic. People visiting hospitals should wear masks. The test positivity rate was high because the number of tests was low.  There was no proposal to make masks mandatory, as per the earlier advisory," said Bharadwaj during a press conference after chairing an emergency meeting to review the COVID situation.

“A trend has been seen that when Maharashtra witnesses a surge, Delhi also sees a spike in cases due to the large number of international flights which land in Mumbai and Delhi. We are fully prepared for it,” he said.

Bharadwaj said they were getting some indicators about the spike in Covid cases but they are fully prepared.  He also said that genome sequencing of samples is also being carried out and nothing worrisome has been found till now.

"Last night, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called me to discuss about the Covid situation and he asked me to convene an emergency meeting on Thursday. In the meeting today, epidemiologist, genome sequencing expert, special secretary (health) were present and we analysed the situation closely," he said.

 He said there is no need to panic due to the high positivity rate.

The review meeting on Friday will include a presentation of the results of the mock drill done recently at Delhi government-run hospitals, which will be shown to the chief minister, the minister said.

The minister said the health department will brief Kejriwal on Friday on the situation following which he will issue directions to the government.

"The chief minister will also be briefed about the Covid situation in other states and how they are tackling the rise in cases," he added. “Mock drill has been conducted already. We have taken an update on oxygen cylinders and liquid medical oxygen (LMO). The health department will show the results of the mock drill to the chief minister as a presentation on Friday at noon.

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