Delhi's daily COVID tests per million highest in world: Kejriwal

Addressing the Delhi Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that 60,000 COVID tests were being conducted in the national capital on a daily basis, making its 3,000 daily tests per million population the highest not just in India, but the world.

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said that maximum COVID-19 tests per day per million population are being conducted in the national capital when compared to the rest of the world.

Kejriwal said that 21 lakh people in Delhi have been tested for COVID-19 so far, which is 11 per cent of the total population of the city.

"Delhi has shown the way to the world in combating COVID-19. Delhi is conducting over 60,000 tests daily. We have a population of two crore. Delhi is conducting 3,000 tests per day per one million population. Delhi is at the top in the whole world in terms of tests per day on 1 million population," Kejriwal said in his address in the Delhi Legislative Assembly.

"Not only in India, but in the whole world, Delhi is conducting maximum tests. In Andhra Pradesh, tests per day per million population is 1300, in Gujarat, it is 1,000, in Karnataka, it stands at 983, in Haryana, it is 990, in Maharashtra it stands at 802 and in Uttar Pradesh, it is 670. The national average of the country in terms of tests per day per million population is 819. In England, it is 3,000, in USA it is 1,300, it is 2,300 in Russia, and in Peru it is 2,800. It means we are conducting maximum tests on the earth," he added.

Kejriwal further said that 21 lakh people in the national capital have been tested for COVID-19.

"It equals to the 11 per cent population of Delhi. No country has tested even 10 per cent of its population. If it is under my control, I want to ensure testing of all whosoever wants to get tested. I want to appeal to all of you to apprise about our shortcomings in the management and we will improve," he added.

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Kejriwal also thanked central government, NGOs and religious organisations for helping the Delhi government in COVID-19 management.

"Delhi has controlled coronavirus to much extent. It is the result of team work. We have controlled it after taking help from the centre. We took their help. They gave us testing kits, oxygen cylinders and help us in our needs. We want to thank them. Various NGOs have also helped us. Religious organizations help us and it is the collaborative effort that brought the virus into control," he said.

"Delhi Model is discussed in the whole world. It is the result of the effort of 2 crore people of Delhi. Delhi has an honest and working, and educated government. It is Delhi's strength. We have shown the way to the world," he added.

Kejriwal further said that there is no need to worry about the surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in the national capital.

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"We need to worry about the number of deaths due to COVID-19. After doing micromanagement of each hospital, we have brought the death rate of Delhi to 0.68 percent, I think this will be the lowest in the world," he added.

According to the Delhi government bulletin, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Delhi rises to 2,21,533 with 3,229 new positive cases and 26 deaths reported today. The numbers of active and recovered cases are 28,641 and 1,88,122, respectively. Death toll 4,770.

(ANI Report)