Coronavirus is at containment stage: Arvind Kejriwal

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday that the novel coronavirus outbreak was at the containment stage, adding that the Centre and the Delhi government had been working together to deal with it.

Addressing a one-day session of the Delhi Assembly, the chief minister said his government had been taking every step to check the spread of the pandemic.

"We have closed schools, cinema halls, universities... to contain the spread of coronavirus," Kejriwal told the Assembly. "We have been taking all precautionary measures and people have been supporting us."

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"It is good that coronavirus is at the containment stage. The Centre and the Delhi government are working together to deal with it," he said.

Kejriwal underscored that healthy people do not need to wear masks and precautionary measures, especially regular washing of hands, could help deal with the deadly disease.

"If you wear a mask, you may touch it and there's is a fear of getting infected," the chief minister said. "Only infected people should wear a mask."

Health Minister Satyender Jain said more than 500 beds had been readied for COVID-19 cases.

Private hospitals should be allowed to run testing laboratories, he added.