"Govt to step up testing for Covid, CM Kejriwal to chair review meet tomorrow": Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj

New Delhi [India], March 30 : Amid a sudden spike in Covid cases in the national capital, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi has decided to step up its daily testing of samples for the pathogen, Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters after chairing an emergency meeting on Thursday to take stock of the prevailing Covid situation in the national capital and draw up a plan to deal with the rising cases, Bhardwaj advised hospitals to test any patient showing symptoms of Covid-19.
"We will step up testing as and when the situation demands," the Delhi Health minister told reporters.
Bhardwaj convened the emergency meeting after the daly Covid count in the national capital climbed to 300 on Wednesday, for the first time since September, last year.
Addressing the press briefing after the meeting, the Health minister said, "The positivity rate is currently higher than 10 per cent, but the number of tests is low. However, there is no need to panic."
Detaling other decisions taken at the meeting, he said, "An advisory has been issued that people with flu-like symptoms, and those visiting hospitals should wear masks."
"We are on alert and the prevailing Covid situation in Delhi is being closely monitored," he said.
However, the minister was quick to add that though the prevailing situation warrants caution, it wasn't worrisome.
"Samples have also been sent for genome sequencing and nothing of concern has been found so far. We have stepped up surveillance and are checking for new strains, if any," he said.
Bhardwaj informed further that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will chair a review meeting on the prevailing Covid situation on Friday.
Delhi recorded 300 fresh Covid-19 cases and two deaths on Wednesday, marking a sharp uptick in infections over the last 24 hours.
According to a bulletin issued by the Delhi Health department on Wednesday, the capital also registered two deaths from Covid over the last 24 hours.
The overall active cases are currently at 806, with the infection rate at 13.89 per cent, the bulletin stated.
Further, according to the bulletin, as many as 2,160 swab samples were tested over the last 24 hours, of which 300 tested positive for Covid-19.
The release further informed that a total of 4,07,85,433 Covid tests have been conducted so far.
It stated further that a total of 163 Covid patients recovered from the virus in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 19,82,029.
Earlier, on Tuesday, the national capital recorded 214 new Covid infections. The total number of active cases was recorded at 671 while the positivity rate jumped to 11.88 per cent.
According to the bulletin issued by the Health department on Tuesday, 81 Covid patients recovered from the virus in the city, taking the total number of recoveries to 19,81,866.
India's active caseload currently stands at 11,903 with a rate of 0.03 per cent per day and with a recovery rate currently standing at 98.78 per cent.