While the entire country is still under the COVID-19 cloud, some regions are struggling with the coronavirus more than others. The deadly virus has triggered a third wave of pandemic with fresh cases coming in every hour. Along with the rising number of active cases detected in New Delhi, the number of fatalities recorded due to the disease have also gone up, with as many as five deaths happening every hour in the national capital.
Delhi has been struggling against COVID-19 since the start and has seen more than two waves of the pandemic since its outbreak in March this year. The third wave hit the city during the October-November period and is expected to affect thousands of Delhiites as the citizens brace for a harsh winter in this month.
By mid-November, New Delhi had contributed more cases to the total tally of cases in the country than any other state. The current situation there has left health experts and government officials scratching their heads on how to controlling the latest wave.
Delhi’s health infrastructure has been overwhelmed by its constant battle against the virus and it needs to take many tough decisions if it wants to minimise COVID casualties.
The Delhi government reckons that the third wave happened due to the laxity of Delhiites in following social distancing norms during the festival season. Hopeful about the discovery of an effective COVID-19 vaccine and thanks to the high rate of recovery in the country, people in the city flouted social distancing rules to celebrate occasions such as Diwali.
This along with high levels of air pollution in Delhi due to stubble burning and Diwali celebrations has made Delhiites more vulnerable to another pandemic wave. Keeping in view the sudden rise in active COVID-19 cases, health experts and officials have suggested imposition of a new lockdown in the union territory.
To combat the new challenges raised by the pandemic, the government has decided to bolster the health infrastructure in the national capital by increasing the number of intensive care units and beds at hospitals involved in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
The Delhi government has also decided strengthen the available medical workforce by flying in doctors from the central paramilitary forces.
Many doctors have pointed out that the unprecedented emergency situation in Delhi is due to the lack of vigilance on the part of the Delhi administration, poor testing efforts in the early phases, and locals not adhering to pandemic protocol.
The Delhi Government has to ramp up its efforts for coronavirus eradication in the capital immediately if it wants to have any chance of a quick recovery.
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