Large crowds continued to pour in as the Lajpat Nagar market in Delhi observed Odd Even rule on Wednesday. (Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal) Delhi on Wednesday reported an exponential spike in Covid-19 cases with 923 fresh infections, highest since May 30, as the positivity rate also jumped to 1.29 per cent. With the new infections, the case tally has risen to 14,45,102, while the death toll stood at 25,107.
The city had recorded 946 cases on May 30, during the devastating second wave.
On Tuesday, the national capital had reported 496 cases, almost half of Wednesday’s. The positivity rate was 0.89 per cent along with one fatality.
Delhi has seen a higher positivity rate – proportion of total samples that return positive – despite a higher than usual number of tests conducted. A total of 71,696 tests were conducted on Tuesday (reported a day later in Wednesday’s bulletin) in comparison to just over 57,400 tests conducted each day on average for the previous seven days.
The sudden increase in the number of cases might be linked to the spread of the heavily mutated Omicron variant that is known to evade existing immunity. The number of Omicron cases rose to 238 on Wednesday as Delhi reported 73 more such cases of Covid-19.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), in a high-level meeting on Wednesday evening, decided to continue with the existing restrictions imposed under the ‘yellow alert’ in view of rising cases and to keep a close vigil on the ground situation.
The meeting, chaired by Lt Governor Anil Baijal and attended by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other top officials, stressed on the need to strictly follow and enforce COVID-appropriate behaviour in the wake of rising cases of the Omicron strain. The health department was advised to enhance preparedness to deal effectively with the emerging situation and to closely monitor bed occupancy, besides strengthening the home isolation strategy. It was also reiterated to continue with the ‘Test, Track & Treat’ strategy with special focus on surveillance, dealienation of containment zones, isolation of positive cases and close monitoring of home isolation cases so as to break the chain of transmission.
The DDMA had on Tuesday declared a ‘yellow alert’ under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the city amid a spike in coronavirus cases following the emergence of the virus’ Omicron variant. At this level, shops in markets and malls dealing with non-essential goods, and services will be allowed to open as per the odd-even formula between 10 am to 8 pm, while one weekly market will be allowed per municipal zone at half the capacity of vendors. Restaurants will operate at 50 per cent capacity between 8 am – 10 pm, bars will open between 12-10 pm also at 50 per cent capacity. Cinemas, banquet halls, auditoriums, spas, gyms and entertainment parks will remain shut.
As per the information provided by the Delhi government, there are currently 200 confirmed cases of Covid-19 admitted to Delhi hospitals, of whom 145 are on non-oxygen beds with mild symptoms and 55 on oxygen beds with moderate symptoms.
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