In response to the surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, three central-government-run hospitals in Delhi have designated beds to accommodate patients. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has decided to allocate two beds in every in-patient ward for severely ill patients.
Additionally, the Lady Hardinge Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital have earmarked 48 and 59 beds respectively, reported Indian Express.
The move comes amid the rise in cases due to the JN.1 sub-variant in various states, with Delhi reporting a total of 34 active cases, including three in the past 24 hours.
According to the officials, the Delhi government has sent COVID-19 positive samples for genome sequencing to Lok Nayak Hospital and the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS).
On Tuesday, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj emphasised that the capital's COVID-19 positivity rate stands at approximately 1 per cent, urging citizens to adopt precautions rather than panicking during the winter season.
Bharadwaj highlighted the increased genome sequencing of positive COVID-19 samples, with 400 tests conducted daily and a 1 per cent positivity rate. He also reassured the public that the newly identified JN.1 sub-variant of the Omicron strain is not life-threatening.
"The new variants are not dangerous but people should not become lax and (they must) follow precautions. People should not panic and think that the virus is spreading and people are dying. But people should be cautious during this time of the festival season," he added, reported PTI.
On Tuesday, the Union health ministry said that India recorded a single-day rise of 412 fresh COVID-19 cases while the active caseload has risen to 4,170.
