NEW DELHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd January, 2022) Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday urged residents of the Indian capital not to panic over the rise in coronavirus cases, noting that most new cases are asymptomatic or mild.
On Saturday, New Delhi reported 2,716 new COVID-19 cases, which is the greatest daily increase since May 21, 2021, when 3,009 new cases were registered in the city.
"The number of COVID-19 cases in Delhi is growing rapidly, but there is no need to panic. There are currently 6,360 active cases in the city. Today, 3.100 new cases are expected to be detected. Yesterday, only 246 hospital beds were occupied, and all cases are mild or asymptomatic," Kejriwal said at a press conference.
The official added that despite the increase in COVID-19 cases, hospital occupancy rates are less than 1%, which is much lower compared to the second wave of the disease that began last April.
The city introduced the "yellow alert" level at the start of this week due to the rising number of new COVID-19 cases. Under the new restrictions, New Delhi will close schools, colleges, theaters, movie theaters, gyms and amusement parks, as well as prohibit public gatherings and limit the number of people at weddings to 20.
In August, New Delhi adopted a new system for introducing lockdown measures, with levels of alert, depending on infection rate, cumulative new cases or average oxygenated bed occupancy within a certain period. The yellow level is the lowest one of the four.
