XBB.1.16 is predominant COVID variant in Delhi, Kejriwal on what govt doing to keep cases in check?
1 min read 31 Mar 2023, 03:29 PM ISTThe XBB.1.16 is the predominant variant at present, accounting for 48 per cent of all positive cases in Delhi
PremiumArvind Kejriwal, who chaired a COVID review meeting on Friday, pointed out that the XBB.1.16 is the predominant COVID variant and hinted that it is causing the recent surge in the national capital. He assured that the city government is taking enough measures to curb the spread of the virus.
The XBB.1.16 is the predominant variant at present, accounting for 48 per cent of all positive cases, he said after the meeting.
How the city government is planning to tackle the situation?
Responding to how the city is planning to tackle the situation, he said, “There's no need to worry, we are taking all the steps. 100% genome sequencing is being done. Even though the virus spreads fast, it isn't severe. We are fully prepared to tackle covid cases."
Also, the Delhi government has been instructed to ensure that there are enough numbers of beds and other medical amenities. "We have enough beds, ambulances, sufficient oxygen and storage capacity as of now," he said.
"We have 7,986 Covid beds. These include oxygen beds, ventilator beds and ICU beds. Only 66 are occupied as of now," he added.
The government has sufficient capacity to conduct RT-PCR tests. Government labs have the capacity to conduct 4,000 tests a day while up to a lakh test per day can be done at private facilities, he added.
At the airport, random testing is being conducted on two per cent of the passengers, Kejriwal said.
Delhi has witnessed an increase in the number of fresh Covid cases over the last few days amid a sharp rise in India's H3N2 influenza caseload. The national capital recorded 295 fresh COVID-19 cases on Thursday with a positivity of 12.48 per cent, according to data shared by the Health department. On Wednesday, the city had logged 300 cases, the first time since August 31, while the positivity had mounted to 13.89 per cent. Two Covid-related deaths were also reported on Wednesday.
(With inputs from agencies)
