Delhi adds more than 1,500 Covid cases for 2nd straight day; tally at 654,276
More than 637,000 people have recovered from the disease so far in Delhi and active cases have now reached 6,051, the health department's bulletin showed.
Delhi on Friday recorded another single-day spike in its daily coronavirus disease (Covid-19) tally with 1,534 fresh cases and nine more fatalities. The Capital’s caseload and death toll has climbed to 654,276 and 10,987 respectively, according to the health department’s bulletin. More than 637,000 people have recovered from the disease so far in Delhi and active cases have now reached 6,051, the bulletin also showed.
Friday's case count is the highest since the beginning of 2021 and it is the second consecutive day when daily cases breached the 1,500 mark. On Thursday, 1,515 new cases were seen.
More than 85,000 (85,902 exact) tests were carried out on Friday of which 32,048 were rapid antigen while the remaining 53,044 tests were RT-PCR/TruNat/CBNAAT tests. The number of people staying in home isolation stands at 3,312 while containment zones have increased to 1,307, the bulletin added.
The recent surge in Covid-19 disease cases in Delhi since last month is being attributed to people turning complacent and not adhering to Covid-appropriate behaviour, doctors and health experts told news agency ANI on Thursday adding that the coming two to three months can be challenging. The Delhi government has already banned public celebrations and gatherings ahead of festivals such as Holi, Shab-e-Barat and Navratri. All district magistrates have been instructed by the government to ensure strict enforcement of all Covid-related norms specifically in crowded areas.
The doctors and health experts cited above also told ANI that Covid-19 cases in the national capital can only come down when vaccination is opened up for more people adding that citizens will have to strictly adhere to all precautions against the disease.
Delhi has so far vaccinated more than 1.13 million people, which include healthcare and frontline workers during the first phase of the inoculation drive, and people above the age of 60 and between 45-59 with specific co-morbidities under the second one. Authorities are now preparing for the third phase of the nationwide vaccination drive from April where jabs will be administered to everyone above the age of 45 with or without co-morbidities.
