233 from the containment zones test positive, Delhi govt data shows

On Friday, Delhi reported 138 new cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19), taking the tally to 2,514. Of these, 857 people have recovered from the infection. Three more deaths were reported in the Capital, taking the total to 53.

Of 5,360 samples, collected from people with flu-like symptoms in Delhi’s 92 containment zones, 233 have tested positive, according to the data shared by the Delhi government. To understand the spread of the infection, the government had decided to conduct 20,000 RT-PCR tests in the community.

To understand the spread of the infection, the government had decided to conduct 20,000 RT-PCR tests in the community. (Raj K Raj/HT file photo)

“This is clearly community transmission. These people were not the contacts of positive cases but those with symptoms living in the area. Now, the government needs to determine the number of positive cases in the community — by randomly picking a representative sample including those without any symptoms. Containing the infection by quarantining those suspected to have it will not be enough and such a test will help in determining further actions,” said Dr Jugal Kishore, head of the department of community medicine at Safdarjung Hospital.

On Friday, Delhi reported 138 new cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19), taking the tally to 2,514. Of these, 857 people have recovered from the infection. Three more deaths were reported in the Capital, taking the total to 53.

Four people with severe Covid-19 infection were administered plasma therapy as part of a trial in the Delhi government’s Lok Nayak Hospital. Two of them have shown recovery and are likely to be shifted out of the intensive care units.

Of the 481 people still admitted to the hospitals, 29 are in ICUs, while nine continue to be on the ventilators. Another 880 persons with mild symptoms are admitted to the Covid Care Centres and 75 with moderate symptoms have been admitted to the two Covid-19 health centres.

Three doctors of the Safdarjung Hospital also tested positive for the virus on Thursday, according to officials..

One healthcare worker from Lok Nayak Hospital tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday, two days after a dietician from the hospital had tested positive, leading to the kitchens being closed. A nurse from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences tested positive for the infection, following which around 40 doctors, nurses and other staff of the gastroenterology department were asked to go into quarantine.

At least 14 healthcare workers from Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital have tested positive for the infection so far.

Another doctor from Lady Hardinge Medical College tested positive, after 11 of the paediatric ICU of the hospital had tested positive for the infection. Two babies — a 45-day old and a 10-month-old — in the ICU had also tested positive. The ICU was shut for sanitisation.

A doctor from Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital also tested positive after accidentally coming in contact with a positive patient. The resident doctors from the hospital asked the administration to put in place a protocol to ensure that accidental exposures do not take place.

The government on Friday directed all hospitals to refer their Covid-19 positive patients in need of dialysis to Lok Nayak Hospital. A committee constituted by the government to look into the security protocol to protect doctors from violence also held a meeting for the first time. The government also ordered that medical facilities be provided at the shelter homes for screening of Covid-19. Guru Teg Bahadur hospital and Baba Saheb Ambedkar hospitals were directed to mobilise teams for Covid-19 Care Centres.

Media persons negative

All 160 media personnel whose samples were collected have tested negative for Covid-19. This was the first batch of media persons who were tested on April 22, after chief minister Arvind Kejriwal made the announcement of testing journalists. The next batch of media persons is likely to be tested on Sunday or Monday.