New Delhi: Delhi recorded 429 fresh Covid cases on Sunday, the highest in more than seven months, as the positivity rate rose to 16.09 per cent, according to data shared by the city’s health department. One Covid-related death was reported in the city. However, the health bulletin stated that the primary cause of death was not Covid. The death toll due to the infection is 26,530.
416 new cases of covid were reported in delhi on saturday With a positivity rate of 14.37 per cent. The city recorded 295 coronavirus cases on Thursday with a positivity rate of 12.48 per cent.
On Wednesday, the national capital reported 300 cases and two deaths, while the positivity rate stood at 13.89 per cent.
Delhi reported 214 cases on Tuesday with a positivity rate of 11.82 per cent, 115 cases on Monday with a positivity rate of 7.45 per cent and 153 cases on last Sunday with a positivity rate of 9.13 per cent.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said the Delhi government is monitoring the spurt in Covid cases in the national capital and is “ready to face any situation”.
There have been only three deaths in the last four-five days. In all three patients, the co-morbidities were “very severe” and it has been assessed that the death was due to co-morbidities and maybe Covid was “accidental”, but one cannot say, he said.
Addressing reporters after chairing a review meeting on the Covid situation in Delhi, Kejriwal said there was no need to worry at the moment and the city government was taking all necessary steps.
Delhi has seen a rise in the number of new Covid cases in the last few days amid a sharp rise in H3N2 Influenza cases in the country.
Delhi had seen a decline in the number of new cases in the past few months, and it had hit zero on January 16, for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic here.
With the fresh cases, the city’s Covid tally has risen to 20,10,741. The data showed that 2,667 Covid tests were conducted on Saturday.
Eighty-seven of the 7,989 beds are occupied in the city’s dedicated Covid hospitals, while 879 patients are in home isolation, the health department said. It said that the number of active cases of infection currently stands at 1,395.
Amidst a gradual rise in the number of Covid cases in Delhi, medical experts say that the new XBB.1.16 variant of the virus may add to the surge.
However, he says there is no need to panic and people should follow Covid-appropriate behavior and take booster shots of vaccines.
They also say that this increase in the number of cases may be the result of more people getting themselves tested for Covid as a precaution, when they actually become infected with the influenza virus and develop fever and related symptoms.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has stated that the increase in the number of influenza cases is due to the Influenza A subtype H3N2 virus.
H3N2 virus tends to lead to more hospitalizations than other subtypes. Symptoms include runny nose, persistent cough and fever.