Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday assured people that they should not get panicky or stressed over the detection of Omicron cases in India, including Delhi. He said his government was fully prepared to protect the people against the new and deadly variant of Covid-19.

Addressing a digital press conference, Kejriwal said the Delhi government was making all arrangements to ensure that adequate oxygen supply, beds, equipment and medicines were available as and when needed.

“I am constantly and personally monitoring the situation to deal with the possible threat of the spread of the Omicron infection. There is no need to panic or lose sleep over it. But people must make their efforts to save themselves from the new variant and continue social distancing and never step out of their houses without wearing a face mask.”

Talking of the Delhi government’s preparations in this regard, the CM said, “I held a review meeting last week in this regard when we took account of all the necessary health facilities and their status, from hospital beds to oxygen supply position to medicines and all other necessary equipment. We are prepared to provide all this and other required material in sufficient quantity and on time.”

Kejriwal had earlier chaired a high-level meeting with all the concerned authorities on 30 November to review the state’s preparedness against Covid-19. Among the growing concerns about the new variant and its probable threat, the status of health facilities was reviewed and orders were issued to increase all that might be required. Plans were prepared for health services — beds, oxygen, medicines and vaccines — to reach every ward and every single person in Delhi.

He informed that it had been assessed that 30,000 Covid beds were ready in Delhi, with the preparedness to arrange 100 beds per ward as and when required on a two-week notice, taking the total hospital bed capacity in Delhi to over 64,000. Additionally, 6,800 ICU beds will also be ready very soon.

Medicine stocks are currently being added, and home isolation arrangements are being strengthened. Oxygen supply and storage is being bolstered, with extra storage facilities of 442 MT, and production of 121 MT oxygen within Delhi. Telemetry devices to provide real-time oxygen tracking are being installed in all oxygen facilities. As many as 6,000 oxygen cylinders have been imported and 15 oxygen tankers bought to prevent oxygen shortage, Kejriwal said.

So far, around 93 per cent of Delhiites have received their first vaccine dose, and 57 per cent are fully vaccinated. The Delhi government has issued a Covid helpline number – 1031 — to come to the rescue of coronavirus patients any time. This helpline number works 24×7.