Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday appealed to the Centre to remove age restrictions on COVID-19 vaccination, saying the fourth wave in the city is much more dangerous than during the third peak.
"People below the age of 45 should also be vaccinated to break the cycle of the coronavirus," Kejriwal said even as the national capital is reportedly facing vaccine shortage amid the surge in new infection cases.
"I have requested the Centre many times regarding the removal of age restrictions on taking COVID-19 vaccine. The Delhi government is ready to conduct a door-to-door campaign to vaccinate people. As high as 65 per cent of patients in Delhi are below 45 years of age,” Kejriwal was quoted as saying, according to reports.
Mid-March saw less than 200 daily new Covid cases in the city. But in the last 24 hours, 10,732 new cases were recorded, the highest single-day spike till date.
The chief minister, however, dismissed total lockdown as a solution to deal with the situation.
"We have issued fresh curbs to battle the surge. I appeal to everyone to follow norms… I am not in favour of a lockdown, don't believe that is a solution. Lockdown should be imposed only when a state's healthcare facilities collapse," he said.
Emphasising that his government is currently focusing on hospital management, Kejriwal urge people to visit government hospitals instead of private ones as they have less beds. Those who are asymptomatic must isolate themselves at home, he added.
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