Delhi: Covid tests cross 45,000-mark; highest single-day spike in cases in 76 days

As testing increased, 3,609 new cases were reported in Delhi on Tuesday—the highest single-day case count since June 24

The Delhi government administered a record 45,797 tests for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in a day and the city registered 3,609 new infections—the highest single-day spike in 76 days— according to a government bulletin on Tuesday.

The total number of cases in the city is 197,135, according to Tuesday’s health bulletin. The positivity rate stood at 10.66% as on Tuesday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

The boost in numbers comes after Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had, on August 26, announced that testing in the city would be doubled to 40,000 a day with the city seeing a resurgence of cases since mid-August. On Tuesday, the Delhi government achieved its target of administering 40,000 tests in a single day. The gradual increase in testing had begun from August 31.

As testing increased, 3,609 new cases were reported in Delhi on Tuesday—the highest single-day case count since June 24, or 76 days—in keeping with the trend of the resurgence of daily infections in the city. There were 3,788 new cases on June 24.

The total number of cases in the city is 197,135, according to Tuesday’s health bulletin. The positivity rate stood at 10.66% as on Tuesday.

The death toll from Covid-19, meanwhile, touched 4,618, with 19 new deaths lodged on Tuesday. As many as 170,140 people have recovered from the disease so far.

With Covid-19 cases on the rise, the Delhi government has also launched an intensive awareness campaign wherein pre-recorded audio messages are being sent to Delhi residents through phone calls and the radio. The government aims to call at least 1 crore phone numbers of Delhi residents in the next few days.

The message in all medium of communication is focused on ‘testing’. In his pre-recorded messages, Kejriwal is heard reiterating what he said in his press conference on Saturday (September 5).

“Some people are not getting tested. They say, nowadays everyone is recovering on their own, so there is no need to get tested. No, please do not do this. Please go and get tested. Please also do wear masks when you step out and follow physical distancing,” the chief minister had said.

Kejriwal had also attributed the spike in Covid-19 cases to increased testing in the city.

“From 18,000-20,000 tests per day, we are now conducting around 40,000 tests. So, more people are getting identified, treated and isolated to prevent them from spreading the infection to others. Today, if I decrease the number of tests, the number of daily cases will also come down and everyone will be happy. The only way to defeat Covid-19 is aggressive testing. There is nothing to be scared of, but there should be no scope for complacency,” he had said.

On September 2, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), in a meeting chaired by lieutenant governor Anil Baijal, had discussed the rising infections in Delhi.

“Some probable reasons for the increase in positivity rate in Delhi could be lack of adherence to Covid-appropriate behaviour, the impact of festivals in August, late testing, cross-infection, the return of migrants and unlock measures,” a DDMA official, who did not wish to be identified, said.

Testing was ramped up in the city by opening camps in all interstate bus terminals (ISBTs), railway stations, construction sites, weekly markets and some mohalla clinics.