Delhi sees record jump in single-day Covid deaths at 380; 20,201 new cases seen

The caseload has now climbed to 1,047,916 and includes 14,628 deaths, 940,930 recoveries and 92,358 active cases, according to the health department's bulletin.

The national capital on Monday witnessed a fall in its daily tally of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) after 20,201 new cases were registered in the last 24 hours, taking the caseload to 1,047,916, according to the health department's bulletin. However, 380 people died in the last 24 hours, the highest ever single- day spike in deaths since the beginning of the pandemic last year. The caseload now includes 14,628 deaths, 940,930 recoveries and 92,358 active cases.

A medical professional gestures outside LNJP Hospital, in New Delhi. (Manvender Vashist / PTI)

The Covid-19 positivity rate in Delhi is currently at 35 per cent, the second highest since last year while the highest positvity rate ever was at 36.24 per cent on April 22. More than 57,600 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours of which 18,904 are rapid antigen tests while the remaining 38,786 tests are RT-PCR/CBNAAT/TrueNaat, the bulletin added.

The containment zones in Delhi have reached 29,104 while 52,733 patients continue to remain under home isolation.

Delhi on Monday joined the list of states which will be administering vaccine doses free of cost to residents above the age of 18 during the third phase of the vaccination drive from May 1.

Addressing a press conference, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday the Delhi government has already approved the purchase of 1.34 crore doses and will work towards speeding up purchases further. Nearly 3 million beneficiaries have been so far inoculated in the national capital.

Hospitals across Delhi have been reporting acute shortage of oxygen for a week for treating critical Covid-19 patients. Some hospitals have only managed to make short-term arrangements and are finding it difficult to come up with a permanent solution.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Gautam Gambhir on Monday hit out at Kejriwal over this shortage and said the state government is responsible for the oxygen tankers while the Centre’s job is to make the gas available. Gambhir also alleged on Sunday that eight oxygen plants were supposed to be set up in Delhi but only one has been installed till now.