Health

New Delhi chief minister contracts Covid-19 as cases rise in India

New Delhi, Jan 4 (EFE).- The chief minister of the Indian capital of New Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, said Tuesday that he has contracted the coronavirus, while daily infections nationwide are on the rise as India recorded 37,379 cases in the last 24 hours, the highest in four months.

“I have tested positive for Covid. Mild symptoms. Have isolated myself at home. Those who came in touch wid me in last few days, kindly isolate urself and get urself tested,” Kejriwal tweeted.

The head of government in New Delhi, like other politicians in the Asian country, attended large electoral rallies in recent weeks as regional elections in several Indian states, such as Punjab in the north, draw near.

Several people on social network highlighted how the capital’s administrative head was out in elections rallies without a mask and in the absence of appropriate covid protocols.

“You mean the thousands of people who walked in the rally with you without a mask. This is criminal. Get well soon,” said journalist Rana Ayyub, replying to Kejriwal’s tweet.

Kejriwal testing positive comes amid a rapid rise in coronavirus cases in the country.

India recorded 37,379 infections and 124 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases since the onset of the pandemic to 34.9 million, including 482,017 deaths, according to data from the Ministry of Health.

Moreover, the south Asian country has detected 1,892 cases of the omicron variant.

Currently, the number of infections is the highest since mid-September, when cases were declining following record numbers during the second wave.

India recorded more than 400,000 infections and 4,000 regularly during the peak of the second wave in May last year, leading to a partial collapse of the health sector, with an acute lack of oxygen and intensive care beds.

Authorities have set restrictions and curfews in numerous regions such as New Delhi, where a nighttime curfew was imposed a week ago.

Due to the rapid increase in cases, the Indian government began Monday to vaccinate minors above 15 years of age, inoculating some 4.2 million of them in a day.

In total, the Asian country has administered 1.468 billion vaccine shots under an extensive campaign that began in January last year.

Nearly 65 percent of the eligible population has received both doses of the vaccine. EFE

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