1,298 new Covid-19 cases in Delhi, 33 more deaths reported

NEW DELHI: The city recorded its highest single-day jump in Covid-19 cases on Tuesday with 1,298 people testing positive for the disease. Delhi’s tally has now reached 22,132, the third highest in the country after Maharashtra (72,300) and Tamil Nadu (24,586). On Monday, 990 people tested positive.
The health authorities also confirmed 33 more deaths, taking Delhi’s toll to 556. “Of the 33 fresh deaths, 11 were reported on Tuesday. The rest were pending cases from April 19 to May 30,” said an official.
As per government data, Delhi has 12,573 active cases of Covid-19. Of these, 2,819 are admitted to various hospitals. “We have 6,731 beds, of which 3,912 — 58% — are vacant,” the official claimed. Many ventilator beds are also available across hospitals, he added. In Covid-19 health centres and Covid-19 care centres, the data shows, 34% and 75% of the available beds are vacant.
The majority of the vacant hospital beds are in the government sector. In big private hospitals, many patients seeking admission said, enough beds aren’t available. “I checked with at least four big private hospitals but all of them said there was no bed,” said a patient.
With the increase in cases, the number of calls received for CATS ambulance and general queries related to Covid-19 on the government helpline has also gone up. On June 1, the data shows, the CATS control room received 264 calls while the helpline got 1,346 calls. “People mostly call to know about whether and how to get the test done. Many people are seeking information regarding quarantine requirements for people coming to Delhi from other cities,” said an officer managing the government helpline.
While the number of Covid-19 cases is on the rise across the country, doctors say the severity of illness and needs thereof for ICU support hasn’t gone up significantly. “Most patients can be managed at home. Only those with severe symptoms, such as persistent high fever, breathing difficulty and comorbidities, need to be admitted to hospitals for continuous monitoring,” said a doctor. Many private hospitals are offering to monitor Covid-19 patients at home against a payment, said a source.