Delhi Government Preparing To Deal With Up To 1,000 Coronavirus Cases Per Day, Says CM Kejriwal

Speaking about the city's preparation to fight coronavirus outbreak, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday (27 March) said the government was ready to deal with 100 cases per day, while currently, the patient rate is four to five cases a day.

In a digital press conference, he said a five-doctor committee was formed which has submitted its report to the government.

"They have planned and submitted a report on what should be our preparations if the cases increase in three categories -- If daily 100 cases are coming; if daily 500 cases are coming and; if daily 1,000 cases are coming."

Kejriwal said the current preparations are sufficient if the cases increase to 100 per day.

"The current preparations we have so far is sufficient if the cases increase to 100 per day. If the number increases to more than 100 daily, we have to make preparations and the plan is ready for it. The preparations include increasing the number of ventilators, beds, ICU beds, testing capacity, ambulances and other things."

He said the government was working on the suggestions of the report.

"We will soon be ready for dealing with 1,000 patients per day. Although, I pray that this situation does not come. But we have to be ready."

Even as the country is under lockdown for 21 days from Tuesday midnight, there has been a constant rise in the number of coronavirus cases, with the total positive cases reaching 39 in the national capital till Friday morning.

According to the Delhi Health Department, till Thursday, 12,703 passengers were under home quarantine and 4,513 passengers completed their 14-day period of quarantine.

"A total of 1,173 passengers are quarantined at the Government facilities," the Health Department said.

Of the 39 cases, 29 have travelled abroad while 10 have come in contact with the patients. Between Wednesday and Thursday, four new cases were reported.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)