Covid-19 in Delhi: Positivity rate 3.68%, lowest since April

The number of RT-PCR tests, considered by experts to be the gold standard of Covid-19 testing, however, continued dropping from 35,352 on Saturday to 32,023 on Sunday – a reduction of 9.41%.

Delhi managed to continue maintaining a positivity rate – proportion of samples that return positive among total samples tested – of less than 5% for the fourth straight day on Sunday, despite more than 70,000 samples being tested.

For a working day, 2,706 cases in 24 hours is the lowest since September 2.. And, the positivity rate of 3.68% is the lowest since April 30. (Amal KS/HT Photo)

The city on Sunday conducted 73, 536 tests, recording 2, 706 new cases of the virus — logging a positivity rate of 3.68%.

The number of RT-PCR tests, considered by experts to be the gold standard of Covid-19 testing, however, continued dropping from 35,352 on Saturday to 32,023 on Sunday – a reduction of 9.41%.

Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, or RT-PCR, tests are significantly better than rapid antigen tests at detecting positive cases – the latter has a higher tendency to give false negative. As a result, the higher the share of RT-PCR tests in overall testing, the more accurate the positivity rate is.

On Sunday, 69 new deaths were recorded, with which the toll touched 9,643.

Commenting on the trend, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted: “I am glad that the third wave of Covid-19 also seems to be getting weak. Delhi fought a very difficult war against Covid-19.”

For a working day, 2,706 cases in 24 hours is the lowest since September 2.. And, the positivity rate of 3.68% is the lowest since April 30.

So far, Delhi has recorded a total of 592,250 cases of Covid-19, of which 557,914 individuals have recovered, government data said.

Sharing details of Sunday’s health bulletin on social media, Delhi’s health minister Satyendar Jain said: “Delhi is emerging victorious in this war against the virus. I would request all to continue following the three commandments – mask, social distancing and sanitation. Be safe, Delhi.”

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“The numbers are encouraging, especially the low positivity rate. The government should keep up with its currently applicable strategies on testing, tracing and isolation,” said Dr Lalit Kant, former head of the epidemiology and communicable diseases department in the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).