Delhi's daily Covid-19 cases breach 1,000-mark for second consecutive day; tally over 651,000

This is the highest number of daily cases seen in the national capital since the beginning of this year. The Capital registered 769 recoveries and six deaths on Wednesday. It is also the second consecutive day that more than 1,000 people tested positive for the disease.

Delhi on Wednesday continued to see a sharp rise in its daily coronavirus disease (Covid-19) tally as 1,254 new cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, according to the health department’s bulletin. This is the highest number of daily cases seen in the national capital since the beginning of this year. The Capital registered 769 recoveries and six deaths on Wednesday.

A health worker collects swab sample from a person for Covid-19 test, near Kashmere Gate in New Delhi (PTI)

It is also the second consecutive day that more than 1,000 people tested positive for the disease. On Tuesday, 1,101 cases were seen - which have been the highest since December last year.

The caseload has now climbed to 651,227 including 10,973 deaths, 635,364 recoveries and 4,890 active cases, the bulletin showed on Wednesday. Authorities carried out over 82,331 tests of which 30,107 are rapid antigen tests while the remaining 52,224 are RT-PCR/TruNat/CBNAAT, it added. As many as 2,560 infected patients are in home isolation and containment zones as of Wednesday stand at 976.

Issuing an order, the Delhi government stated that movie halls, religious places, malls and weekly markets are super spreader areas. “There has been a steady increase in the number of cases in the last 15 days, but people are not following the Covid-19 norms,” the government order added.

Keeping in view that celebrations of festivals can lead to a rapid surge in cases, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) said on Tuesday that no public celebrations of Holi, Navratri, Shab-e-Barat will be permitted in the city. The DDMA also announced on Monday that the Delhi airport along with all railway stations would test passengers for Covid-19 due to the rise in cases.

More than 857,000 beneficiaries have been vaccinated so far against Covid-19 in the national Capital so far, with chief minister Arvind Kejriwal urging eligible people to get vaccinated. “Vaccine doses are free of cost at all government centres,” Kejriwal’s tweet roughly translated from Hindi read.