Arvind Kejriwal sets target of 1.25 lakh vaccinations a day to curb COVID-19 surge in Delhi

New Delhi: Asserting that the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in the national capital was not a cause of worry, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday announced the number of people vaccinated in Delhi each day will be raised from around 40,000 to 1.25 lakh. In the last three days, the number of daily COVID-19 cases in Delhi has increased to over 500, he said, adding that though it was a “negligible” rise, his government has directed officials for stricter tracking, tracing and isolation of cases.

देश में बढ़ते कोरोना मामलों के मद्देनज़र दिल्ली में वैक्सिनेशन को अब युद्ध स्तर पर बढ़ाया जाएगा | Press Conference | LIVE https://t.co/DuvBFAiFfC

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 18, 2021

Kejriwal said the number of vaccination centres in Delhi will be doubled and they will open from 9 am to 9 pm. The chief minister, in a press conference, said it did not add up while vaccination was going on cases of viral infection were rising. Appealing to the Centre to open vaccination for all instead of prescribing who were eligible to get it first, Kejriwal asserted that all the people of Delhi can be administered the COVID-19 vaccine in three months if the restrictions were lifted and enough supply of vaccine was ensured. He appealed to the Centre to decentralise vaccination process so that states can carry out immunisation on a war footing. Kejriwal said that due to a decrease in cases, laxity had crept in the system but now measures like using masks will be strictly enforced. The Delhi government is in consultation with experts of its own and the Central government and taking all possible measures to check the rise in the number of COVID-19 cases.