NEW DELHI: As Covid-19 was on the brink of rampage, Delhi’s business community was concerned about another lockdown, but Health Minister Satyendar Jain said Monday there was “no chance” of a second lockdown in the capital. He claimed that the third wave in the city had peaked.
There were nearly 90 deaths every day in Delhi for a week, with positive cases this month being one lakh. Jain said Monday that the government was analyzing not only the daily data but also the weekly average, indicating a decrease in the spread of Covid.
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Cases of Covid-19 have appeared in Delhi in the past few weeks. The situation is expected to get worse in the coming weeks. While increasing the number of ICU beds is a good move to meet patient influx, only social distancing and the use of masks through all can stem the increase in the long term. Safety standards must be strictly adhered to.
“The absolute numbers don’t need to be concerned and I can definitely say that the third wave of November has already peaked,” said Jain. “Positivity hit 15% in a single day recently, but hasn’t hit that number again.”
The minister also said the lockdown is a learning experience that does not need to be repeated. “We learned that you can take full advantage of lockdown just by wearing masks,” he said. “So there is no chance of another ban.”
A concerned Chamber of Commerce and Industry had previously appealed against a lockdown to the center and government of Delhi. CTI convener Brijesh Goyal said rumors of a closure were widespread, adding: “Before Diwali some markets were overcrowded, but now there is no reason for similar crowds in the markets. Blocking will therefore not prove effective. ”
Niranjan Poddar, president of Mori Gate’s Automotive and General Traders Welfare Association, also spoke out against a closure. “There were 500 Covid cases in Delhi when the lockdown was announced. If it was relaxed there were 10,000 cases, ”Poddar noted.
Tens of thousands of livelihoods were lost as a result of the lockdown. “The second store closings will put a heavy financial strain on the business community and affect government revenues. The economy is slowly getting back on track so we shouldn’t derail it, ”said one trader. While Jain said the people’s reaction was extreme – some were intrepid and did not follow preventive norms, while others were too fearful to venture out of their homes, the business community shouldn’t be blamed for the negligence of a few, traders said.
CTI chairman Subhash Khandelwal assured that all market associations had been asked to ensure social distancing, masks, thermal screening and the use of hand sanitizer.
