New Delhi, Feb 19 (IANS): Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Friday said that the Covid-19 pandemic is now settling down as an endemic, but people still need to remain vigilant.
"I feel now that after all the three waves of the coronavirus which hit the city, the virus is dying eventually. Now it is no more a pandemic but an endemic. The infection will not be eradicated much like other diseases but the surge is on the wane. I hope we won't see 8,600 cases in a day. I feel we are out of the danger zone but we still need to take proper precautions, masks and social distancing needs to be maintained," he said.
The minister said the pandemic has affected many lives, however, Delhi successfully managed to sail through the tough times.
"Delhi government made calculated and well-thought-of moves, especially when it introduced the home isolation system which proved to be highly effective. At a time, when the focus was on ventilators, we were the first to take into consideration BiPAP and HFNC machines, and not stress on ventilators," he said at an event organized at the Delhi Assembly to felicitate 76 frontline workers of Delhi government-run Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital.
Applauding the efforts of these frontline workers, the minister said that LNJP hospital has put up a brave fight against the virus and remains the only hospital that has treated over 11,000 patients of Covid-19.
"It was India's first hospital dedicated fully to Covid patients. When we introduced Plasma therapy, the first trial was conducted at LNJP Hospital under the supervision of its very proficient staff. The very first plasma bank, started on July 2, was established at LNJP Hospital. This pandemic put us all in a fix when it came to finding a solution pertaining to its cure. However, the government, doctors and staff at the hospital worked day and night to bring forth new solutions to fight this virus," he added.
"I want to applaud every member of the staff, for putting the interests of the public before their own. What they have done will act as an idol for the generations to come," Jain added.