Healthcare worker takes a swab sample outside Sarojani Nagar Metro Station in New Delhi on Saturday. (Express photo by Praveen Khanna) Delhi on Saturday registered an exponential spike in Covid-19 cases with 2,716 fresh cases — 51% higher than Friday’s tally — and one fatality as the positivity rate also shot up to 3.64 per cent.
On Friday, 1,796 Covid-19 new cases were reported with a positivity rate of 2.44 per cent. The national capital has been witnessing a rising trend in coronavirus cases in the last few days.
With the fresh infections and death reported, Delhi’s Covid-19 tally has risen to 14,50,927 and the toll stood at 25,108.
Crowded Old Fort on the first day of the year, in New Delhi on Saturday. (Express photo by Praveen Khanna) Meanwhile, Delhi’s Omicron tally on Saturday rose to 351, with 31 new Omicron cases reported. Delhi has the second highest number of Omicron cases in the country after Maharashtra.
Earlier on New Year’s eve, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had urged people of the national capital to stay indoors and follow COVID-appropriate behaviour considering the rise in number of infections.
The increase in cases is likely linked to the heavily mutated omicron variant that is known to evade existing immunity. The rise in cases comes even as a ‘Yellow alert’ has been sounded in the national capital as per the Graded Action Response Plan (GRAP).
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