COVID-19 alarm: Experts call for reimposing curbs in Delhi

With Covid cases increasing rapidly in the national capital the health experts are of the view that the Kejriwal government need to reimpose restrictions or impose a partial lockdown in the city to contain the Covid spreadSpeaking to IANS former head of the epidemiology and communicable diseases at the Indian Council of Medical Research ICMR Dr Lalit Kant suggested that the government must curb the movement and impose strict restrictions on public transport markets and areas which are potential hotbeds of the infectionThe primary concern should be to minimise the interaction among the public Since everything is thrown open the government must clamp down the spaces of massive public interaction such as public transport and markets This is where the most interaction is happening among public and the preventive measures are going for a toss he saidKant also said that the focus should be on containing the virus rather than just treating the disease The enhancement of bed capacity is crucial to save lives but the primary goal should be to control the infection spread The government can keep enhancing the capacity but are the system equipped to manage surge after surge We are looking to treat the virus whereas we should be working on controlling it If we diligently focus on the latter we can anyway reduce the hospital admissions he saidKant also said that the current crisis is the result of governments approach which based on rhetoric rather than science and dataIt opened everything initially without even studying the data and forecasting the pattern the virus would take Even during the lockdown the dates were decided before analyzing the data he addedHe also hinted that the government measures suggest that it was illprepared before relaxing the lockdown norms The measures taken by the government in the past like limiting healthcare facilities of Delhi to residents of the city only which was later struck down by the Centre and reservation of beds for COVID19 patients suggest that decisions were not taken upon data study and health expert advices Such approaches showed lack of preparation When we are dealing with a thing that is new dynamic and lessstudied our measures must reflect scientific approach rather than political he addedMember of Delhi Covid Committee constituted by Kejriwal government Dr RK Gupta said that the government should immediately cease movement by closing all public and private transport and restrict the function of local marketsEverything should be restricted Businesses should not be closed but regulated This is need of the hour Because if the cases surge any further then people would start dying in the lack of healthcare Availing a bed would become a luxury Delhi would be doomed he statedWhile adding that focus should be more put on contact tracing he said that it is not possible till the restriction is not imposed When everyone is moving how will you trace the spread of infection Gupta questionedHe also questioned the scheme of testing the samples by RTPCR and Rapid Antigen Test RAT technology conducted by the government There is a mismatch in following this protocol as well No proper follow up is done on the RAT negatives Gupta saidAs per the protocol the RTPCR is followed after negative results from RAT since it has very low sensitivity faring just under 5 per cent Gupta estimated that if proper followup is done then cases may emerge double that the current figuresKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest newsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever