As Covid cases rise in Delhi, DDMA meeting in few hours to decide on stricter curbs

On Monday, the national capital reported as many as 4,099 fresh Covid-19 cases, up from 3,194 on the preceding day, which is a rise of 28% in 24 hours. The case positivity rate also surged to 6.46% from Sunday's 4.59%.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has convened a meeting today in wake of the consistent and huge jump in single-day cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and also case positivity rate exceeding 6%. It is expected that the national capital will see fresh restrictions due to the alarming situation.

The containment zones in Delhi climbed to 2,008 on Monday from 1,621 on Sunday. (Photo by Raj K Raj / Hindustan Times)

On Monday, Delhi reported as many as 4,099 fresh Covid-19 cases, up from 3,194 on the preceding day, which is a rise of 28% in 24 hours. The case positivity rate surged to 6.46% from Sunday's 4.59%. With this, the cumulative case count of Delhi shot up to 14,58,220.

The containment zones in the city have climbed to a whopping 2,008 while the number of hospital beds occupied currently also witnessed an upward swing from 307 on Sunday to as many as 420 on Monday. According to the Delhi health bulletin, these patients also include the suspect cases of Covid-19.

Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain told reporters on Monday that 84% of the coronavirus cases logged in the city in the last two days are due to the Omicron variant.

India has so far reported as many as 1,700 Omicron cases, after the variant was first detected in the country on December 2. Maharashtra and Delhi remain the leading contributors with 460 and 351 infections, respectively.

The DDMA issued a yellow alert under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on December 28 in which certain restrictions, including night curfew between 10pm and 5am and shutting of educational institutions, gyms and cinemas, among others, were imposed.

A day later on December 29, Delhi's lieutenant governor Anil Baijal chaired a DDMA meeting, which was attended by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria, among other prominent figures. In the meeting, it was decided not to impose ‘ambert alert’ in the national capital and instead intensify the three T's - testing, tracking and treating to combat the transmission of the virus as well as the new Omicron variant.

Alerts are issued in Delhi on the basis of the case positivity rate, overall Covid-19 cases and the number of oxygen beds occupied in hospitals. The yellow alert is the level 1 curbs under the GRAP, which is issued when the positivity rate remains above 0.05% for two straight days.

Notably, since Christmas 2021, the daily caseload of Delhi has seen a massive jump with 249 infections logged on December 25. On December 28 when the yellow alert was imposed, the national capital logged 496 infections in 24 hours.

Red alert, which is level 4 curbs, are imposed when the case positivity rate remains above 5% for two consecutive days. If this is implemented in Delhi, there will be complete lockdown with only certain exemptions as specified by the government. Restaurants and bars, which under yellow alert have been permitted to run with 50% seating capacity, will also be shut. However, delivery of essential items and services in general will be allowed.