‘Too Early to Say Delhi is Seeing 3rd COVID Wave’: Satyendar Jain

“We must wait for another week in order to definitively say that,” Health Minister Jain said.

(Photo: FIT)

A day after Delhi reported its biggest one-day spike in coronavirus cases, Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday, 29 October, said "it is too early to say that Delhi is experiencing the third wave of COVID-19 cases."

“We must wait for another week in order to definitively say that, but it possible that we’re already in that phase,” Jain was quoted as saying by news agency ANI, after being asked about the spike in infections in the national capital.

On Wednesday, Delhi reported 5.673 new cases and 40 fatalities, taking the tally in the city to 3,70,014 and the death toll to 6,396. The active case count currently stands at 29,378, while 3,34,240 patients have recovered.

‘Going for Aggressive Contact Tracing and Testing’

The Delhi health minister also indicated that the festive season and colder temperatures may have a role to play as well.

We have changed the strategy and are going for aggressive contact tracing and testing, Jain said, adding that the entire family and close contacts of COVID-19 cases are being tested.

“This (increased testing) could be a reason why the numbers are spiking. But it is the best strategy to contain the disease. We’re hopeful that we will see good results soon. We have strengthened contact tracing as well.”

Satyendar Jain, as quoted by NDTV

While the pan-India COVID-19 case count has been declining steadily since mid-September, Delhi has seen a spike in infections in the last few days. The winter season and the festive season are being cited as risks that may lead to an uptick in cases once again in the country.

(With inputs from NDTV, PTI and ANI.)