Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal said to Prime Minister that Pollution is the main factor in high severity of the third wave of COVID-19 in Delhi. Kejriwal told the prime minister that Delhi witnessed the peak of 8,600 Covid cases on November 10 during the third wave and since then, the number of cases as well as the positivity rate is steadily decreasing, the sources said.

The chief minister expected that the trend would continue in the national capital. "The high severity of the third wave is as a result of many factors. Pollution is a key factor. The chief minister sought the prime minister's intervention to get rid of the pollution caused by stubble-burning in adjoining states, especially in view of the recent bio-decomposer technique," a source said.

At the meeting with the prime minister, Kejriwal also sought the reservation of the additional 1,000 ICU beds in the central government-run hospitals in Delhi for Covid patients till the third wave of the infection lasts in the city, the source said. Modi on Tuesday interacted via video-conferencing with the chief ministers of the states that are witnessing a surge in the number of coronavirus cases to review the pandemic situation.

As per reports, Delhi recorded 4,454 new COVID-19 cases and a positivity rate of 11.94% on Monday, while 121 more fatalities pushed the death toll due to the disease to 8,512 in the city.

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