Covid cases may surge during winter, says Delhi minister

Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain's warning comes in the wake of a report from an expert panel that festivals and the winter might cause a surge in coronavirus infections.

New Delhi: For the past two days, there has been a big increase in Corona cases in Delhi with more than four thousand new cases being reported continuously, while the infection rate, which has been 5-and-a-half percent for the last one month, is now approaching 7 and a half percent.

The total cases of Corona in Delhi have crossed 3 and a half lakh and out of these, 50 thousand cases have come up in the last 15 days.

15,000 cases per day

When we questioned the Health Minister of Delhi about all this, Satyendra Jain told VK Paul's expert committee had feared 12-14 thousand new Covid cases can be reported in the capital every day in winter and festive season.

The Health Minister added that Dr. Paul's committee told us to make preparations for 15 thousand cases every day. However, we feel that fewer cases will come from this.

'Contact tracing continued'

Satyendra Jain said that we are fully prepared and alert. On whether the crowds coming out in the festive season being the reason for the increase in Corona, Satyendra Jain said that the Expert Committee had given that as a reason along with winter.

Regarding the preparations of Delhi, the Health Minister said that we are focusing on containment. Whoever comes positive, contact tracing is being done.

'People staying in group testing positive'

Regarding the increasing infection rate, Satyendra Jain said that many people are living together among themselves nowadays. If anyone of them comes positive, then we are testing all of them by contact tracing and most of them are getting positive.

For this reason, the infection rate is increasing. He said that nowadays people are testing positive who stay in the group and now the doubling rate is around 70 days.

'Schools will not open yet'

Commenting on people's careless regarding the rapid COVID spread, the health minister said that the only way to protect themselves from the corona is by wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing. He also said that schools in Delhi will not open soon due to the pandemic.