Covid Surge: Kejriwal Rules Out Another Lockdown in Delhi, Says ‘New Restrictions Will Be Imposed Soon’

Kejriwal, who was interacting with the media outside the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, said the people can be vaccinated within two to three months in Delhi provided there are “enough vaccine doses” and the “age bar for vaccination is removed” besides “approval to open more vaccination centers on a larger scale”.

(File Photo)

New Delhi: With Delhi recording over 8,500 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday ruled out the possibility of imposing another lockdown in the national capital but stated fresh restrictions will be implemented soon to prevent the virus surge.

Kejriwal, who was interacting with the media outside the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, said the people can be vaccinated within two to three months in Delhi provided there are “enough vaccine doses” and the “age bar for vaccination is removed” besides “approval to open more vaccination centers on a larger scale”.

“Currently, we have vaccines for 7-10 days. There will be no lockdown. New restrictions will be imposed soon,” he added.

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Expressing grave concern over Delhi witnessing the fourth wave of coronavirus, Kejriwal said there is a need to speed up the vaccination process and improve hospital management to curb the spread of infection and control the rising number of cases in the national capital.

Kejriwal, who held a review meeting amid the fourth wave of the virus, said that he would not let Delhiites suffer as his government shall fulfill all the requirements of the hospitals.

“Today also I held a review meeting at the LNJP hospital. The Delhi government and all the hospitals are going to replicate the level of preparations we had in November last year when infections were increased during the third wave and the doctors, nurses and health professionals had successfully tackled the situation,” he added.

Kejriwal, who was accompanied by Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Kumar Jain and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson Raghav Chaddha during his visit to the hospital, had earlier this week written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting that the vaccine should be made available to the people across all age groups except those medically barred from getting the shots.

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The AAP chief had in his letter also requested the Prime Minister to expand the ongoing vaccination drive by allowing schools and community centres to be used as vaccination sites apart from the existing healthcare facilities.

Meanwhile, the cumulative number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 9.80 crore today. According to the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, over 34 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been inoculated to the beneficiaries in the last 24 hours.