Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj visits LNJP Hospital on Monday, April 3, 2023 amid a sudden spurt in Covid cases in the national capital. Photo Credit: PTI
Delhi’s COVID-19 positivity rate breached the 25% mark on April 5 as the city reported 509 new cases in a single day.
The positivity rate stood at 26.54%, the highest in nearly 15 months, while no new deaths were recorded.
In January last year, the positivity rate had touched the 30% mark.
Delhi recorded 521 cases on April 4, the highest single-day increase since August 27 last year, and one death, according to data shared by the city’s health department.
The positivity rate was 15.64%.
The city had recorded 573 positive cases on August 27 last year with 5 deaths, with a positivity rate of 3.62%.
The city’s COVID-19 death toll remains at 26,533.
With the fresh cases, the city’s infection tally has risen to 20,12,064. The data showed that 1,918 Covid tests were conducted on April 4.
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.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said on March 31 that the Delhi government was monitoring the spike in Covid cases in the national capital and was “ready to face any eventuality”.
Addressing reporters after chairing a review meeting on the Covid situation, Kejriwal had said there was no need to worry as of now and the city government was taking all necessary steps.
Delhi recorded 293 new cases on April 3, taking the positivity rate to 18.53%, which meant that almost one out of every five people tested turned out to be positive.
Delhi witnessed 429 Covid cases on 2 April with a positivity rate of 16.09% and one death.
It recorded 416 cases on 1 April with a positivity rate of 14.37%.
The city recorded 295 coronavirus cases as on 30 March with a positivity rate of 12.48%. On March 29, the national capital reported 300 cases and two deaths, while the positivity rate stood at 13.89%.
Delhi had seen a decline in the number of new cases in the last few months, and it had become zero for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic on January 16.
The health department said that out of 7,989 beds, about 120 are occupied in the city’s dedicated Covid hospitals, while 1,174 patients are in home isolation.
It said that the number of active cases of infection currently stands at 1,795.
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. The H3N2 virus leads to more hospitalizations than the other subtypes. Its symptoms include runny nose, persistent cough and fever.