Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was admitted to the AIIMS COVID Centre in Delhi for observation on March 20 after testing positive for coronavirus, and he is presently stable, the hospital said on Sunday.
"He is stable and all his parameters are normal," the All India Institute of Medical Sciences said in a statement. According to the hospital, Birla (58) tested positive for the coronavirus infection on March 19. He was admitted to the AIIMS COVID Centre for observation the next day.
India has been seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases in the country of late, and many states are preparing for a ‘second wave’ of the virus. India recorded 43,846 new coronavirus cases in a day, the highest single-day rise so far this year, taking the nationwide COVID-19 tally to 1,15,99,130. Further, 197 deaths were also reported within last 24 hours.
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, Gujarat and Haryana are displaying an upward trajectory in daily new cases, according to the Health ministry. Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh account for 83.14% of the new infections, the ministry added.
According to experts, the biggest reason for the surge in cases is that people feel the pandemic is over and they are not following COVID-appropriate behaviour. "With vaccines available now, people feel they should not wear masks. Maximum people hang their masks around their neck, some keep it in their pocket and some do not use it at all," Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had said on Saturday evening.
“I want to appeal to people of the country that they should not let the COVID appropriate behaviour get weakened at any cost. Maintaining social distancing, wearing masks properly and washing hands with soap probably are the biggest tools to win the fight against COVID-19,” he added.
The country is in its second phase of the inoculation drive against COVID-19, where people above 45 with comorbidities as well as senior citizens are eligible for vaccination.