COVID-19: Spike in Cases could be Called ‘Third Wave’, Says Delhi CM Kejriwal

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said the city has seen a jump in the number of new COVID-19 cases over the last few days and that the spike could be called a “third wave”.

Kejriwal said people did not need to panic and that the government was monitoring the situation regularly. “Delhi has witnessed a jump in the number of COVID-19 cases. I think we can call it a third wave,” he told reporters.

“We have been monitoring the situation continuously and there is no need to panic. We will take whatever steps are needed,” the chief minister said.

The government's priority is to give best treatment and healthcare facilities to COVID-19 patients in Delhi and to keep the death rate as low as possible, he said.

The chief minister said there was no shortage of beds for COVID-19 patients in the city.

“However, there is scarcity of ICU beds in some big, private hospitals. But we are trying to set things right,” he said.

“The Delhi government had increased their numbers (ICU beds in private hospitals) but unfortunately, the Delhi High Court stayed our decision. We are moving the Supreme Court today to urge it to vacate the stay,” Kejriwal said.

Delhi recorded over 6,700 fresh COVID-19 cases for the first time on Tuesday, taking the infection tally in the city to over four lakh, even as the positivity rate stood at 11.29% amid the festive season and rising pollution in the city. The previous highest single-day spike till date in Delhi was cases which was recorded on Friday.

The 6,725 fresh cases were recorded after 59,540 tests were conducted the previous day.

Forty-eight new fatalities were recorded, pushing the death toll in the national capital to 6,652, according to the bulletin issued by the Delhi health department.