Made preparations to deal with up to 1 lakh cases daily: Kejriwal amid Omicron scare

NEW DELHI: In view of the rising Covid cases and Omicron threat, the Delhi government will increase daily test capacity to three lakh and strengthen home isolation module to handle one lakh positive cases each day, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, he reviewed the Covid situation and the Omicron threat in Delhi in a meeting with his ministers and senior officers.

The chief minister said Omicron was characterised by a fast spread and mild infection and asked people not to panic as the Delhi government was prepared to deal with it if there was a surge in the number of infections.

Since Omicron infection does not require hospitalisation in most cases, the home-isolation module is being strengthened and an agency was being hired for it, he said.

The capacity to follow up patients in home isolation will be increased from the current 1,100 cases daily to one lakh each day.

As soon someone tests positive, a phone call will be made to the person and the next day a medical team will visit the person to provide him with a kit containing medicines and other items, Kejriwal said.

Also, patients in home isolation will be counselled by the doctors for 10 days, said the chief minister.

The government will also increase daily Covid test capacity from around 60,000 to 70,000 at present to three lakh per day. A two-month stock of required medicines will also be maintained, he added.