Delhi sees record 10,774 new Covid-19 cases; tally over 720,000

This is the first time that there have been more than 10,000 cases in a day. Also, there were 48 more deaths in Delhi due to the viral disease, taking the death toll to 11,283.

Fresh cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) broke all records in Delhi on Sunday, as the city saw its infection tally rise by more than 10,000 cases for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. There were 10,774 new infections in Delhi on Sunday, according to the health department, which have taken its caseload to 725,197.

People queue during a Covid-19 vaccination drive, at CGHS Wellness Centre, at South Avenue, in New Delhi, India, on Saturday, April 10, 2021. (Photo by Arvind Yadav/ Hindustan Times)

There were 48 more fatalities in the national capital due to the viral disease, the health department’s bulletin also showed, taking its death toll to 11,283 or 1.55% of the total Covid-19 cases. More than 5,158 people also recovered during the same period and now the Capital’s tally of recovered people stands at 679,573 and the recovery rate at 93.70%.

The number of active caseload, meanwhile, mounted to 34,341, an increase of 5,568 cases.

The active caseload also mounted to 34,341, an increase of 5,568 Covid-19 cases.

The bulletin also showed that 114,288 tests were conducted in Delhi in the last 24 hours, as against 77,374 a day ago. Hence, the cumulative positivity rate, or the proportion of samples that test positive, fell to 9.43%, down from 10.20% on April 10, which was the first time since November 24, 2020, that the cumulative positivity rate was in double digits. Total 76,954 RT-PCR/CBNAAT/True Nat tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, while the corresponding figure for Rapid antigen tests was 37,334. In all, 15,558,243 samples have been tested in Delhi for Covid-19 thus far.

Addressing a virtual press conference earlier in the day, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal urged people to stay at home “as much as possible.” Talking about recently-imposed curbs on cinema halls, bars, restaurants, buses etc, Kejriwal said while the government was not in favour of a lockdown, there was “no other option.” Remarking that Delhi’s home isolation facilities are the best, the chief minister said, “Don’t get hospitalised if your case is not severe. You can be treated in home isolation too. We will send teams to your homes.”

Delhi is already under a daily night curfew till April 30, while the high court has made it mandatory for masks to be worn even if there is only one person inside a car.