Delhi sees highest ever single-day spike in Covid-19 cases, deaths; tally over 900,000

As many as 19,430 people were recovered/discharged on Tuesday and the total recoveries from the disease are nearing 808,000 while the tally of active cases has gone up to 85,575, the bulletin showed.

The national capital on Tuesday registered 28,395 new cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and 277 more deaths, taking the caseload and death toll to 905,541 and 12,638 respectively, according to the health department's bulletin. Tuesday figures of cases and deaths in Delhi have been the highest ever since the beginning of the pandemic last year.

Policemen guarding a roadblock in New Delhi on April 20 as the national capital enters a week-long lockdown in light of rising Covid-19 cases. (AFP)

As many as 19,430 people were recovered/discharged on Tuesday and the total recoveries from the disease are nearing 808,000 while the tally of active cases has gone up to 85,575, the bulletin showed.

More than 86,500 tests were done for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours of which 29,802 are rapid antigen and the remaining 56,724 are RT-PCR/CBNAAT/TrueNat, it added. The containment zones in Delhi are at 17,151 while over 40,000 patients continue to remain under home isolation.

As the Covid-19 cases in Delhi are increasing rapidly on a daily basis, hospitals are reporting a severe shortage of medical oxygen for the infected patients. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday sought urgent help from the Centre in this regard and said some hospitals are left with few hours of oxygen.

"Serious oxygen crisis persists in Delhi. I again urge centre to urgently provide oxygen to Delhi. Some hospitals are left with just a few hours of oxygen," Kejriwal tweeted. The CM is currently under self-isolation after his wife Sunita Kejriwal tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday.

A week-long lockdown has been imposed in the national capital till April 26 with a view to curb the spread of the disease. As per the rules, only essential services and government offices can function while those in private offices are ordered to work from home. Malls, spas, gyms and auditoriums are also closed while groceries, dairies will be kept open during the lockdown period.

However, thousands of migrant workers were seen leaving Delhi on Monday night to go back to their native places after the lockdown came into effect. They said the chief minister should have given them more time before shutting down Delhi for a week.

Expressing concerns over this, Delhi lieutenant governor Anil Baijal urged them to not leave Delhi in panic and assured the government will take care of all their needs.