'No Need to Panic, Cases Are Mild': CM Kejriwal on Rising Covid Tally in Delhi

Despite 2,716 new Covid infections on Saturday, the chief minister said hospitalisations remained low.

File photo of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. 

(Photo: Video screengrab)

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, 2 January, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said there was no need to panic over the COVID situation in Delhi despite the rising number of cases, given how mild the effects of the virus on those testing positive were at the moment.

"The corona of today is so mild and asymptomatic, there is absolutely no need to panic or be worried," Kejriwal said in the short address. "I also request the media to be responsible with their reporting so that people are not scared."

At the same time, he urged everyone to continue to take precautions, including wearing masks.

The AAP leader's remarks came after the capital recorded 2,716 new coronavirus infections on Saturday, according to a Delhi government bulletin. This takes the active case tally to 6,360, with another 3,100 expected on Sunday.

Hospitalisations, including for oxygen beds and ventilators, remain low, even though the infection numbers are similar to the case numbers from the peak of the second wave in April 2021, Kejriwal said.

"As of now, only 82 oxygen beds in hospitals are occupied. Delhi government is prepared with 37,000 beds. That means that 0.22 percent of the beds are occupied, the rest are vacant. In April, some 145 people were on ventilator, now only five are."

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

According to the chief minister, only 246 hospital beds in total are occupied by Covid patients at present, and on most days, there are no deaths due to the virus.

On Saturday, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain had suggested there was no serious threat at present from the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which has spread rapidly across the world.

"The Delhi government has the appropriate infrastructure to treat patients and curb the spread of the virus. The Omicron variant is less dangerous than the Delta one, hence, patients do not need to be admitted to hospitals. At present, no patient of Omicron has required oxygen," Jain had said, according to The Hindu.