Can tackle up to 1 lakh daily COVID cases: Arvind Kejriwal on Omicron- 10 points

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday held a high-level meeting to review the Omicron situation in Delhi.

New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday (December 23) reviewed the preparedness for the Omicron variant in the national capital in a high-level meeting after Delhi’s Omicron tally rose to 64 and said that the state is ready to tackle with the new variant.

The leader said that Delhi has enough equipment, hospital beds and medicines to deal with the infection even if the daily COVID toll rises to one lakh. He also informed that the national capital has ramped up the testing capacity to over 3 lakhs every day.

Here’s what Kejriwal said in the press briefing today:

• We have ramped up testing capacity; up to 3 lakh COVID -19 tests are being conducted every day.
• With our preparations, we can handle as many as 1 lakh daily cases if such a situation arises.
• We are strengthening our home isolation management protocol.
• Delhi is creating a buffer stock of medicines that can last two months.
• Made all preparations considering Omicron is highly transmissible but causes very mild infection, fewer hospitalisations and death.
• Under the home isolation module, our healthcare workers will visit patients at their residence, conduct tele-counselling and also give a kit containing oximeter etc. to them.
• We are increasing our manpower, stocking medicines for the coming few months
• Delhi is also arranging medical oxygen and 15 oxygen tankers that will be delivered to us in the next 3 weeks.
• Since Omicron causes mild infection, have decided to strengthen the home isolation module. Appeal to people not to rush to hospitals.
• Ordered hiring agencies to manage patients in home isolation.