Cannot be in permanent lockdown: Arvind Kejriwal

Assuring Delhi residents that the government is four steps ahead of the coronavirus, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that people cannot remain under permanent lockdown. He added that a cure for the virus needs to be found and that is what the government is currently focussed on.

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday said that people cannot remain in a permanent lockdown.

"Today, nobody can say that being under lockdown for another month would make coronavirus go away, it will remain there, and we will have to find a way to treat it. That's what our government is focussed on," he said.

He also said that his government was 'four steps ahead' of the novel coronavirus and was over prepared to deal with the situation.

"I want to assure Delhi residents that your government is four steps ahead of the coronavirus," Kejriwal said at an online press conference.

"We are making plenty of arrangements that are much more than the requirements. We are more than prepared to tackle it," he said.

The chief minister underlined that the aim of the government was to ensure that the number of deaths from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) should not rise even if the count of patients were rising.

According to Kejriwal, cases of the pathogen went up by 8,500 in the past 15 days, but only 500 people were admitted in hospitals and most were recovering at home.

"We have arranged for enough beds. More beds are being arranged," he added.

Kejriwal added that the government was also developing an app to give people information about the availability of beds in hospitals.

Referring to allegedly fake videos being circulated on social media, the chief minister said: "We have to leave politics behind. The country going through a bad time."

PTI