From 2,716 to 22,751: How Covid-19 cases spiked in Delhi in first 9 days of 2022

Covid-19 cases in Delhi: The cases of infection have gone up sharply in national capital this year. The hospitalisations, however, have been lower in comparison to the Delta-led wave last year, which led chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to say that there is no need to panic.

Delhi is among the regions in India which have been badly affected by a resurgent coronavirus disease (Covid-19) wave. The national capital has seen its daily Covid-19 tally making records in the wake of the spread of the highly-mutated Omicron variant.

Delhi Police personnel stop a vehicle during a weekend curfew imposed by the Delhi government amid rising Covid-19 cases, at Connaught place on Sunday. (ANI Photo)

The Covid-19 cases have been riding steadily in Delhi since the first day of the year (when it reported 2,716 cases) and reached 5,481 on January 4. The number, however, nearly doubled the next day when the daily tally reached 10,665.

In the next five days, the tally more than doubled and reached 22,751 on January 9, with a test positivity rate of 23.53 per cent. The city also reported 17 deaths, most fatalities in a day since June 16 last year.

In a slight relief, the hospitalisation rates have been far slower in comparison, indicating that the Omicron-led infection is milder in comparison to the one unleashed by the Delta variant during second wave in April last year.

Nearly 88 per cent of all hospital beds in Delhi were vacant as on Sunday, according to state government data.

The city, at present, has over 14,000 beds reserved for Covid-19 patients, of which a little less than 2,000 are occupied.

This has led chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to say that there is no need to panic.

“During the last Covid wave, 20,000 single day cases were reported on May 7, 2021, but there were 341 deaths and 20,000 hospital beds were occupied,” Kejriwal said on Sunday. “Delhi reported 20,000 cases on January 8, but there were only seven deaths and 1,500 beds are occupied.”

He also said that the Delhi government doesn’t plan to impose a lockdown if everyone follows Covid-19 appropriate behaviour.

Delhi is currently under ‘yellow alert’, as per the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). Under this, a night curfew has been announced from 10pm to 5am, which restricts all non-essential movements. The Delhi government also implemented a weekend curfew from 10pm on January 7 to 5am on January 10 to check the further spread of Covid-19 after a meeting of Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).

Another DDMA meeting will take place on Monday to discuss the Covid-19 situation with experts and top officials, and to decide if the national capital needs more restrictions to check the spread.