10,774 cases: Record surge as CM says 65% patients below 45 years

New Delhi: Even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal advised extreme caution in light of the Capital now having breached all previous records of the highest fresh surge in cases, while government data showed 10,774 new cases, CM Kejriwal asserted that nearly 65 per cent of all active cases in the city are patients below the age of 45.

Even hospitals across the city have reported more younger people getting infected in the fresh wave of the pandemic that is raging through Delhi.

Significantly, the CM shared the data of more cases emerging among the city's young along with the data that Delhi had for the first time administered over 1 lakh doses of vaccines in 24 hours.

But even as vaccinations are reaching new highs, the CM has implored Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lift age restrictions in vaccinating the population of the city. According to the CM, the only way to beat this wave of the pandemic, which is raging with uncanny speed, is to vaccinate people at a faster rate but because the Centre had not yet opened vaccinations for those below 45, most new infections that could be softened by vaccinations are not occurring.

"The Delhi government is ready to go to each and every house and vaccinate the people. Our staff is ready for this. In the meeting of all CMs (with PM Modi), 2-3 other CMs also said that they would vaccinate all citizens in their state in the next 3 months, asking the centre to remove all these restrictions, one of them being that only people above the age of 45 would be vaccinated," the CM said.

He added, "The data shows that 65 per cent patients in Delhi are less than 45 years of age. If 65 per cent patients are less than 45 years of age, how would its spread stop? How would we break its cycle? It can only happen with vaccination." The CM went on to request the PM to lift restrictions on vaccinations and undertake a "vaccination drive at a large scale and divert all our machinery towards it".

But even as alarm bells ring in government offices, hospitals and morgues, data on Covid-19 maintained by the Delhi government shows that

the healthcare infrastructure in the city is not yet being stressed. During the last peak of the pandemic in November, when the city reported over 8,590 new cases, active cases were over 42,000.

Active cases in the Capital currently stand at 34,341, of which over 17,000 are recovering under home isolation.

But amid the fresh surge in Covid-19 cases, many are testing positive even after taking both doses of the vaccine, and many are re-infection cases. Taking note of this trend, the CM, in his press conference, said that he had spoken to experts and doctors about this, all of whom have said that the infection might still manifest after vaccination and this is nothing to worry about. "You might get Corona but not serious — won't be fatal," the CM said, further exhorting residents to not let their guard down and keep their masks up.

"This is the benefit of the vaccine. Whenever the central government opens up the restrictions, it would be a great thing. However, all those who are above the age of 45, they should immediately get themselves vaccinated, for their own safety and that of their family," the chief minister said.