17.2 mn Delhiites covered in survey, only 39.500 showed Covid symptoms

Authorities in Delhi have surveyed over 1.72 crore residents so far for coronavirus-like symptoms to assess the spread of the infection and found that just over 39,500 had cough, fever and other indicators of the viral disease, officials said Monday.

They shared the figurer after Lt Governor Anil Baijal Monday chaired a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority where officers concerned apprised the LG of the declining number of coronavirus cases in the city.

They also said that the officials were asked to give due priority to non-Covid patients and normal surgeries too now as the coronavirus situation is improving in the city and most beds for COVID patients are vacant, they said.

Battling a third wave of coronavirus, the government had taken several measures last months including reservation of 80 per cent ICU beds in private hospitals, doubling testing centres in every district and postponement of non-critical surgeries at health facilities.

On Monday, Delhi recorded 803 fresh COVID-19 cases, the lowest since August 17, and the number of active cases dropped below the 10,000-mark. The city's cumulative COVID-19 count stands at 6,17,808, authorities said.

In order to check the spread of coronavirus in the national capital, the Delhi government had in November decided to expand the door-to-door survey to the entire city. The government had roped in several teachers of its schools to be part of the teams conducting the survey.

Till now, authorities have surveyed 1,72,10,020 people in Delhi out of which only 0.23 per cent (39,583) had Covid-like symptoms, an official source said.

During the survey, the teams of officials visit door-to-door and ask family members whether anyone of them has cough, fever and other coronavirus-like symptoms.

If anyone complains of such symptoms, he or she was suggested to go under COVID-19 test at nearby testing centres.

In the meeting, officers were directed to also take care of non-coronavirus patients and normal surgeries as there has been a decline in the number of virus in the last few days, another source said.

The source said that the authorities concerned will issue orders to implement the facilities for non-Covid patients.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Saturday said the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Delhi is under control now.