Delhi records 82 pc rise in daily Covid patients with 1,118 new infections

NEW DELHI, (PTI): Delhi recorded 1,118 fresh coronavirus cases on Tuesday, a rise of 82 per cent from the previous day, with a positivity rate of 6.50 per cent, according to data shared by the health department here.

The city also reported two fatalities due to the viral disease, the data showed.

Tuesday’s tally is the highest since May 10 this year when the national capital had recorded 1,118 cases, with a positivity rate of 4.38 per cent. Delhi had reported 1,422 fresh COVID-19 cases and zero fatality on May 8, while the positivity rate was recorded at 5.34 per cent.

This is the fifth consecutive day that Delhi has recorded over 600 cases in a day.

With the new cases reported on Tuesday, Delhi’s overall tally of COVID-19 cases increased to 19,14,530 and the death toll stood at 26,223, the department said in its latest bulletin.

Delhi on Monday reported 614 new COVID-19 cases and zero death due to the disease, while the positivity rate stood at 7.06 per cent.

The city had on Sunday reported 735 new COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 4.35 per cent and three deaths. It had on Saturday reported 795 cases with a positivity rate of 4.11 per cent and zero death. Meanwhile, the number of active COVID-19 cases in Delhi increased to 3,177 from 2,561 on Monday, the bulletin said.

As many as 1,910 patients are under home isolation, up from 1,825 the previous day, it said, adding that there are 190 containment zones in the city, down from 191 on Monday.

There are 9,582 beds for COVID-19 patients in Delhi hospitals and 149 of these are occupied, up from 124 on Monday, the bulletin said.

The number of daily COVID-19 cases in Delhi had touched the record high of 28,867 on January 13 this year during the third wave of the pandemic.

The city had recorded a positivity rate of 30.6 per cent on January 14, the highest during the third wave of the pandemic.

Experts have said that people lowering their guard and travelling during the vacation season are the main reasons behind the latest uptick in coronavirus cases in Delhi.

Meanwhile, in view of the current surge in cases, districts in Delhi have also ramped up measures to ensure that positive cases are detected in time.

An official on Tuesday said that there is a laxity on the part of people in following Covid-appropriate behaviour despite the spike in cases.

On Monday, Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena held a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to review the Covid-19 situation in the national capital. He directed officials to ensure genome sequencing of COVID-19 samples in Delhi to ”proactively” detect the prevalence of any new variant amid an uptick in coronavirus cases in the city.

Saxena underlined the need for enhanced testing coupled with a focus on the strategy of testing, tracking, treating and vaccinating to successfully fight the Covid pandemic. (PTI)