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The caseload has triggered a critical oxygen shortage in Delhi (File)
New Delhi:
Delhi on Friday logged 348 Covid-linked deaths – its biggest single-day spike in the death count. The city also reported 24,331 new coronavirus cases amid the rapid second wave of the pandemic.
The national capital is the worst-hit city in the country as it has been reporting the biggest daily spikes in Covid cases this month. The city’s positivity rate is 32 per cent.
The national capital currently has 92,000 active cases, which is also a record.
Delhi had reported 28,395 cases, the highest single-day jump so far, on Tuesday. Authorities logged 306 deaths on Thursday, 249 on Wednesday, 277 on Tuesday, 240 on Monday, 161 on Sunday, and 167 on Saturday.
The caseload has triggered a critical oxygen shortage in Delhi. Several hospitals said they would run out of the life-saving gas in a few hours if the stocks were not replenished.
There is also a shortage of normal and intensive care beds in Delhi.
Despite the centre saying antiviral Remdesivir is not a life-saving drug, the shortage of the medicine continues amid high demand.
Social media websites are flooded with SOS messages of the families and friends seeking help to arrange hospital beds, oxygen cylinders and medicines for their patients.
At the meeting of the chief ministers of 11 worst-affected states with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said some states were stopping tankers carrying oxygen for the national capital.
“Will people of Delhi not get oxygen if there is no oxygen-producing plant here? Please suggest whom should I speak to in the central government when an oxygen tanker meant for Delhi is stopped in another state,” he said.
PM Modi later asked all states to ensure that tankers carrying oxygen to other states must not be stopped or delayed.
He also urged states to set up high-level coordination committees to carry oxygen to different hospitals.
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