Delhi records highest single-day rise in Covid-19 cases since Jan: Key points

Health experts expressed alarm over the resurgence of infections when most curbs on social movement in the city have been lifted, and people have let their guards down and stopped adhering to Covid-appropriate behaviour

Delhi on Thursday reported the highest single-day increase (409) in Covid-19 cases since January 9 and prompted experts to warn of another possible wave of the viral disease. Here is all you need to know about the spike and what it means:

A health worker prepares to administer Covid-19 vaccine, at Max Hospital in New Delhi earlier this month. (File photo)

• Health experts expressed alarm over the resurgence of infections when most curbs on social movement in the city have been lifted, and people have let their guards down and stopped adhering to Covid-appropriate behaviour.

• A vast majority remains vulnerable to the disease.

• Experts also warned about the drop in the testing rate and said the current situation in the Capital appeared akin to what happened in Mumbai and Maharashtra.

• Maharashtra saw a rise in cases about two weeks ago and is now in the midst of a full-blown Covid-19 wave.

• The seven-day average of daily cases, also known as the case trajectory, in the Capital touched 322 on Thursday.

• It had dropped to 125 for the week ending February 12, which was the lowest in eight months.

• This number has now been rising for 17 days in a row, something that last happened in mid-November last year, before the city brought its third wave of infections under control.

• With Thursday’s addition, the total number infections in Delhi stands at 642,439, while three new deaths pushed the death toll to 10,934.

• At the Union health ministry’s Covid-19 briefing on Thursday, NITI Aayog member (health) VK Paul singled out Delhi-National Capital Region and cautioned authorities about letting down their guard.

• He said that Delhi, along with Gurugram, Faridabad and to an extent Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad, is seeing a rise in positivity rate.