Lockdown is no solution, says Delhi Health Minister amid rising COVID-19 cases

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain ruled out the possibility of a second COVID-19 lockdown in the city by stating that it is "not a solution" and added that "we'll have to learn to live with it."

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New Delhi: The national capital finds itself in the midst of a fresh wave of COVID-19 cases as the city on Friday (March 26) recorded over 1,500 new cases for a second day in a row. 

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain ruled out the possibility of a second Covid lockdown in the city by stating that it is "not a solution" and added that "we'll have to learn to live with it.”

"There is no possibility of a lockdown. Earlier there was a logic behind it. No one knew how the virus (would) spread. We were told if you close all activities for 21 days it will stop. So lockdown continued... but, despite this, the virus did not go away. I think lockdown is not a solution," he said.

The Delhi Health Minister also added that the experts believe that COVID-19 and its variants will continue to circulate for years to come. This message from the Health Minister seemed like an echo of comments made by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in May last year.

"It is a recurring disease. Experts said from the beginning 'do not believe it will be finished immediately'. We will have to learn to live with it," he said. The minister also urged the residents to get themselves vaccinated as soon as they become eligible for the vaccination drive.

"People wore masks for two or three months... then they stopped. This is wrong. We don't know how the virus behaves. I appeal to the people.. the more people who wear masks, the better the spread of the virus can be controlled," he said.

While addressing the media, the health minister also added that the vaccination times in the national capital had been extended now from 9 am to 9 pm. The authorities have also decided that a six-hour window, between 3 pm and 9 pm, would be open for those beneficiaries who don't have appointments.

As per the health department notification, the national capital reported 1,534 new cases, which is the biggest single-day spike of 2021. Delhi's caseload stands second to Maharashtra's, which is the worst hit state in India by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Meanwhile, India recorded over 62,000 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday (March 27) that took the country's active count to 4.52 lakh.