MCD hospitals fully prepared, no need to panic: Mayor on Covid cases rise

Amid a rise in COVID-19 cases, Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi on Wednesday said all civic-run hospitals are "fully prepared" to deal with the coronavirus situation and appealed to people not to panic.

The mayor was interacting with reporters at the Civic Centre here a day after Delhi recorded 521 COVID-19 cases -- the highest single-day rise since August 27 last year -- and one fatality.

"This morning I visited the MCD-run Hindu Rao Hospital and took stock of the arrangements there, including on Covid beds, oxygen availability, testing facility and stock of medicine. Later, a meeting was also held with doctors and others from the hospital administration department of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on the Covid situation," she said.

Hindu Rao Hospital is the largest civic-run hospital with 980 beds.

"The situation is fully under control and people should not panic. Our hospitals, doctors and staff are all equipped to handle the situation," Oberoi said, adding the Delhi government is making arrangements and the MCD too is "fully prepared".

"All councillors have been told that they should visit dispensaries in their wards and patients who have flu-like or Covid-like symptoms should immediately be sent for a test. We also have assessed the availability of oxygen beds, ICU beds and stock of medicine. We have the availability as of now," the mayor told reporters.

"We do not want the situation as it was two to three years ago. So, we want to be prepared. But again, people should not panic," she said.

According to the Tuesday bulletin, the positivity rate was 15.64 per cent.

Delhi recorded 573 Covid cases on August 27 last year with a positivity rate of 3.62 per cent along with five deaths. The city's COVID-19 death toll now stands at 26,533.

With the new cases, the city's infection tally has increased to 20,11,555. The data showed that 3,331 Covid tests were conducted on Monday.

Delhi has witnessed an increase in the number of fresh Covid cases over the last few days amid a sharp rise in H3N2 influenza cases in the country.

The Delhi government is keeping an eye on the spurt in Covid cases in the national capital and is "prepared to face any eventuality", Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday.