No possibility of lockdown in Delhi: Satyendar Jain
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Saturday dismissed any possibility of imposing another lockdown in Delhi, saying it was not a solution to check the spread of the coronavirus that is again surging rapidly. Jain said there was a logic behind the lockdown enforced earlier as nobody knew then how the virus propagates.
'Lockdown was imposed in hopes that the virus would die'
"It follows a 14-day cycle - between a person catching the infection and recovering from it. Experts said the virus will die if a lockdown is imposed for 21 days," Jain told reporters. "Authorities kept on extending the lockdown, but the virus did not die. I don't think lockdown is a solution," he said.
Enough hospital beds available for coronavirus patients: Jain
"There is no possibility of imposing another lockdown in the city," Jain said. The minister added that there were enough hospital beds available for coronavirus patients and they could be increased if the need arises.
Case numbers have breached the 1,500-mark for two consecutive days
"Delhi reported over 1,500 coronavirus cases for the second consecutive day on Friday, while nine more people, highest in around two months, succumbed to the pathogen," Health Department said. 1,534 new infections pushed the tally to 6,54,276, while over 6.36 lakh patients have recovered. This is the highest number of cases since December 16 when 1,547 people tested positive, according to official data.
Sudden rise in cases attributed to complacency
Health experts and doctors have attributed the sudden rise in cases to people turning complacent and not following COVID-19 guidelines. Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority had on Tuesday ordered that there will be no public celebrations or gatherings in Delhi during upcoming festivals like Holi and Navratri.
