No need to panic if Omicron spreads, says CM Arvind Kejriwal

India

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The Delhi Government is keeping a very close eye on the Omicron variant of coronavirus which is stirring tensions all over the world. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal informed the public that the Delhi Government is well prepared for even the worst case scenario. He stated that the Omicron variant is very mild but transmits at an alarming speed and that the government is making adequate arrangements for the situation keeping these characteristics in mind.

He elaborated on the preparatory measures and mentioned that the home isolation program in Delhi is being upscaled to an unprecedented level, adding that if needed, teams will be able to tend to even one lac cases a day.

The Chief Minister appealed to the public to not rush to the hospitals if they test positive in order to avoid coming in contact with crowds. He added that government teams will look after patients at home till they fully recover to prevent hospitals from getting overwhelmed. Arvind Kejriwal also informed that testing facilities in Delhi have been further upgraded to a capacity of 3 lac tests per day, while medicine stocks are being buffered at a 2 month scale, adding that the oxygen infrastructure has been completely transformed.

He concluded by sharing that 99% Delhiites have taken the first dose of vaccine, while 70% are fully vaccinated, and that sero surveys have projected antibodies in 95% of Delhi’s population.

After holding a high-level review meeting on Covid, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addressed the public today. He said, “Everyone is extremely concerned about the Omicron variant of the Coronavirus, it is being reported to be a highly transmissible variant all over the world. Today, I convened a meeting of all concerned departments to discuss the issues and review our preparedness to deal with this virus. The Omicron variant has two major characteristics that we have learned about it: one, it is highly transmissible, and two, it is extremely mild, with fewer hospitalisations and casualties. We have taken precautions in light of these considerations.”

He elaborated further, “One, because this variant of the coronavirus spreads so quickly, our containment infrastructure must be strong. We have increased our testing capacity to 3 lakh samples per day, the current rate is around 60-70 thousand tests per day but we can conduct up to 3 lakh tests in Delhi every day if necessary. Two, when the second Covid wave hit in April, we were seeing daily cases reach a high of 26-27 thousand cases per day. This time we are preparing for even one lac cases per day. As the intensity of the variant is very mild we’d like to appeal to all the people to stay in home isolation and not rush to hospitals unless your symptoms are severe.”

Arvind Kejriwal added, “We are strengthening the home isolation model to an unprecedented level. As soon as someone tests positive, they’ll get a phone call from the government. They’ll be told that the authorities will be in constant touch with you now and provide you all help needed. Then, a team from the Delhi Government will visit their house and give them a COVID-kit with all required items and including an oximeter. From then on, doctors will counsel them everyday till they do not get cured.

Whatever agencies that are needed to be onboarded for this whole arrangement will be employed within a couple of days. I have given strict orders to get this done. We are taking radical steps to take care of the situation. Till now our home visit capacity was around 1,000 cases a day. We are now escalating it to one lac cases a day.”

He continued, “Beyond that, foreign nations are reporting a need for excess manpower in this fight due to the high number of cases. Sufficient manpower is being prepared in this aspect too. Medicines are being stocked for two months of a buffer. The procurement is going on and we will ensure that there is no shortage of medicines. Another major problem was related to oxygen. Even if Delhi was being allotted oxygen, it could not be transported due to lack of trucks as till now Delhi never needed such infrastructure. We are now bringing in 15 such trucks that will be able to transport oxygen and these trucks will arrive in three weeks.”

He concluded by saying, “We believe that Delhi will not face a very strong wave and hopefully the situation will not get as severe. The sero survey showed that 95% of people in Delhi already have coronavirus antibodies. Moreover, 99% of Delhi residents have received their first dose of vaccination and over 70% have received their second dose as well. Keeping these statistics and our preparedness in mind, we expect the impact to be mild in case of another wave. But on the off chance that the situation gets dire, the people of Delhi need not worry. The Delhi Government is fully prepared and is with you in this fight against the coronavirus.”

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal chaired a high-level meeting to review the Covid situation of Delhi in wake of the Omicron variant. Deputy Chief Minister  Manish Sisodia, Health Minister Satyendar Jain and Revenue Minister  Kailash Gahlot were present in the meeting along with senior officers of concerned departments.

The Kejriwal government is constantly monitoring the situation posed by the Omicron variant. In this regard, approximately 37 thousand Covid beds and 10,594 Covid ICU beds have been prepared on the Chief Minister’s orders. At the same time, if the infection spreads, the government has made plans for 100 oxygen beds to be set up in every ward of Delhi within two weeks of intimation. In this manner, the Delhi government’s plan is to prepare 65 thousand beds, so that no one faces bed shortage.

During the previous Corona waves, the home isolation system proved to be extremely useful in providing excellent care to patients. As a result, the home isolation system is being strengthened further on the orders of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. As a result, patients with mild corona symptoms can receive effective treatment at home. The government has put in place a strong system to accomplish this.

The ANM, ASHA, paramedic workers, along with CDV teams have been directed to go to the homes of the patients in home isolation as soon as Covid is detected and inform them of the necessary precautions. During this time, the team will assess the patient’s health and provide a home isolation kit with an oximeter. Following that, tele-caller teams will continue to call in the following mornings and evenings to obtain health information. If the patient’s condition is critical, they will be admitted to the hospital right away.

The Chief Minister, has also emphasised the availability of a sufficient quantity of medicines, in addition to the Covid beds to ensure that there is no shortage of medicines in any situation. A buffer stock of 32 types of medicines useful in the treatment of patients has been ensured for two months on the instructions of CM Arvind Kejriwal. CM Arvind Kejriwal has also directed officials to keep a close eye on the availability of essential medicines.

The Delhi Government is also focusing on increasing manpower for Covid management, so that if the rate of infection picks up, there is no shortage of doctors, nurses and paramedic staff. For this, the Delhi government has given special training in Covid Management to medical students, nurses and paramedical staff along with specialist doctors. They have been given training in oxygen therapy, Covid Management, Paediatric Ward Covid Management.

The Delhi government has also roped in five thousand health assistants. Health assistants have been given basic training in nursing, paramedics, home care, blood pressure measurement, vaccination etc. Health assistants will work as assistants to doctors and nurses and will not be able to take decisions on their own. With their help, doctors will be able to work more efficiently and patients will also be taken care of very well.

The Chief Minister has also directed Delhi government hospitals to increase the sanctioned strength of doctors, nurses, and paramedics as needed. Hospitals can add 25% more doctors and 40% more nurses and paramedics to their approved staffing levels. Currently, these additional doctors, nurses, and paramedics will be hired until March 31, 2022. Instructions have been issued to extend the appointments of additional staff members in both Covid and non-Covid hospitals until March 31, 2022.

Delhi Government has issued a Covid helpline number — 1031, to help Covid patients during any problem. This helpline number works 24×7. It employs employees in three shifts, who can attend 600 to 700 calls. If there is an increase in the call number, the number of employees will be increased. By calling the helpline number, one can get oxygen cylinders, tele-consultation, pulse oximeters, medicine kits, vaccination information and information on availability of hospital beds, home isolation, ambulance services and tests.

The Kejriwal Government has significantly increased the oxygen capacity of Delhi.  At present, the Delhi government has a capacity of 1363.73 metric tonnes of oxygen including MLO storage, MLO buffer, PSA plants. The capacity of oxygen cylinders with medical institutions itself has been taken up to 217 MT. Additionally, 6,000 D type cylinders have been placed in reserve for emergency use. Previously, the oxygen refilling capacity of Delhi was limited to 1,500 cylinders a day, now, 2 cryogenic plants with an installed capacity of 12.5 MT will be able to refill an additional 1,400 jumbo cylinders every day.

On the orders of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, telemetry equipment is being installed in all large and small oxygen tanks to provide real-time data on oxygen availability. The installation of this device will provide real-time oxygen data on the dashboard. This will assist officials in tracking the status of oxygen while also strengthening the oxygen supply chain.

In Delhi, approximately 1.80 crore people over the age of 18 are eligible for vaccination. So far, the Delhi government has administered 2.51 crore doses of the vaccine in the city. So far, 1.475 crore Delhi residents have received one dose of the vaccine. That is, 99 percent of Delhi residents have received a dose of the vaccine. Similarly, both doses of the vaccine have been administered to 1.035 crore people. That is, roughly 70% of Delhi residents have received both doses of the vaccine. The Delhi government is equipped to administer three lakh doses per day. As a result, when compared to other metropolises, Delhi is at the forefront of vaccination.

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