New Delhi, 31 December: Minister of Health and Family Welfare Shri Satyendar Jain said that the positivity rate was decreasing continuously, and the bed occupancy levels in hospitals too has considerably reduced because of which LNJP and GTB hospitals which were earlier fully dedicated to COVID will be soon turned into partially COVID and made available to non-COVID patients. OPD and other services will be resumed.

The COVID care centres have been closed as they did not see any patients in a long time. He said that LNJP Hospital currently has 38 positive patients who travelled to Delhi from international locations. Out of those, 4 have been infected with the new strain. He said that the Delhi Government was completely ready for the vaccine, and all necessary requirements, from storage to application have been made.

He said that Delhi will see a night curfew from 11 PM to 6 AM on December 31 and January 1, to ensure that there are no lapses which can lead to a spike in the much-controlled situation of the infection in Delhi. "The Delhi Government is preparing 1000 centres for the vaccine. We are completely ready with all the preparations," he added. Delhi Govt-Appointed Panel Recommends Lowering Legal Age for Drinking Liquor to 21, Reducing Number of Dry Days.

Briefing the media, Shri Satyendar Jain said, “There were 677 cases in Delhi yesterday. Around 85,000 tests were conducted and the positivity rate has fallen down to 0.8% implying that in the 1000 tests conducted, only 8 are found symptomatic. The situation has improved a lot as compared to the 15.26% positivity rate on November 7. The bed occupancy in the hospitals has reduced considerably. More than 85% of beds are available. In the wake of this, the Delhi Government has decided that GTB and LNJP hospitals which were fully COVID dedicated hospitals will soon be turned into partially COVID dedicated and made available to non-COVID patients. All departments and services including OPD will be resumed.”

Responding to the query surrounding the shut down of covid care centres, the Shri Satyendar Jain said, “COVID care centres did not see any patients for quite some time, therefore it did not make sense to keep them up and running."

“The Delhi Government is preparing 1000 centres for the vaccine. We are completely ready with all the preparations. From storage to roll out. We are only waiting for the vaccine to be made available,” said Shri Jain on the preparedness of Delhi Government for the roll-out of the vaccine.

Regarding the night curfew in Delhi for 2 days, he said, “The night curfew will be implemented from 11 PM till 6 AM on December 31 and January 1, to ensure that there are no lapses which can lead to a spike like earlier, now that there is a much-controlled situation of COVID in Delhi.” Delhi Fully Prepared to Receive, Store, Give COVID-19 Vaccine to 51 Lakh People in First Phase, Says CM Arvind Kejriwal.

Shri Satyendar Jain said, “Experts are still working on the new strains’ analysis, to understand its intricacies. LNJP Hospital currently has 38 positive patients who travelled to Delhi from international locations. Out of those, 4 have been infected with the new strain. Nonetheless, I assure you that all flights have been banned and no new cases have since then arrived. The ones who arrived earlier are being traced and tested and there is no need to worry.”

On the COVID biowaste in Delhi, he said, “COVID waste is MCD’s responsibility. They have been made accountable to handle it.” Shri Satyendar Jain said, “So far, we are aware that they said the vaccine will be made freely available by the Central government but that is all the information we have."