The THD HelpDesk, New Delhi: Delhi is conducting the highest number of COVID test in the whole world, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday, 14th of September during a one-day session. Kejriwal said that the number of cases shouldn’t be a concern; rather the number of deaths should be. The coronavirus death rate is lowest in Delhi, in the world he said.
The chief minister said,
“In Delhi, 3,057 COVID-19 tests are conducted per day per million population. In the UK, around 3,000 tests are conducted per million population, 1,388 in the USA, 2,311 in Russia, and 8,58 in Peru. In India, the figure is 819 tests per day per million. So, Delhi is conducting the highest number of tests in the whole world.”
Currently, around 60,000 tests for detection of COVID-19 are being conducted in Delhi daily, which means that 3,000 tests are conducted per day per million population in the city.
He said the number of cases was very concerning in Delhi and added,
“The largest number of COVID-19 tests are being carried out in Delhi. Eleven per cent of Delhi has been tested so far with nearly 21 lakh tests. The concern should be the number of deaths and not the number of COVID cases. The death rate in Delhi is perhaps the lowest in the whole world.”
Moreover, he added
“First, we need to understand that the COVID-19 situation of was the toughest in Delhi. We must keep this in mind whenever we compare the situation from other states. Coronavirus had a huge impact in countries such as Italy and the UK. Indians living there asked the governments that they wanted to go back to Delhi.”
He emphasized on the huge amount of international travel that happened and how Delhi, being the national capital, had to step forward. “Delhi is the national capital of India and so 80-90 per cent of all flights landed in Delhi. COVID-19 was a new disease then, and nobody knew about any protocol or guidelines to be followed, no quarantine, and no isolation,” he said.
Kejriwal said handling the pandemic is a united task and needs the support of everyone. Hence, he expressed gratitude to the Central Government for stepping forward and taking the initiative to lend a hand. They provided the capital with PPE kits, oxygen and cylinder and testing kits.
“We have a weakness. We do not know how to do politics, but this weakness has become our biggest strength right now. I always say, the credit is yours and all the responsibility is mine. Whenever Delhi faces trouble, the responsibility is mine,” he said.
He added that people from all over the country are coming to Delhi for COVID-19 treatment. “A total of 5,264 people from other states have been treated so far in Delhi. It is a difficult time. Human history never witnessed such a pandemic. We have to work for the wellbeing of the humankind,” he said.
AAP MLAs, including Saurabh Bhardwa, hit out at the BJP government saying it to be a “scam” which happened in the procurement of COVID-19 kits and equipment. As a counterattack, Vijender Gupta from BJP claimed that COVID-19 cases were rising in Delhi and the AAP government has failed to protect people from the disease.