Delhi records lowest Covid-19 cases reported since June 1, case fatality rate at 2.96 per cent

However, the number pertains to the weekend when fewer tests had been conducted – only 11,470 as opposed to an average of almost 20,000 over the last three weeks.

Delhi reported 954 cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on Monday, with number of fresh cases dipping below the 1,000-mark for the first time since June 1 when 990 cases had been recorded.

A medical worker helps a boy to draw inside a care centre for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) patients at an indoor sports complex in New Delhi. (REUTERS)

However, the number pertains to the weekend when fewer tests had been conducted – only 11,470 as opposed to an average of almost 20,000 over the last three weeks.

The city also reported 35 more deaths due to the infection, taking the total toll so far to 3,663. Delhi’s case fatality rate now stands at 2.96%.

With fewer tests, the positivity rate – the percentage of people who test positive among those tested – also increased to 8.32. In comparison, the average positivity rate recorded over the last week was 7.61.

The number of tests had shot up in Delhi since the third week of June when the rapid antigen tests, which give results within 15 minutes outside of laboratories, had been introduced. The positivity rate had almost touched 37% in the second week of June when very few symptomatic people were being tested.

The number of active cases or those living with the infection at any given time has also reduced to just about 15,000. The highest number of active cases reported in the city was just over 28,000 reported in June-end.

Along with the number of active cases, the number of hospitalisations have also reduced, with just 3,517 people admitted to hospitals as on Monday, according to the daily health bulletin released by the Delhi government.

Delhi had massively scaled up Covid-19 infrastructure when the cases were shooting up in June. Currently, there are 15,462 hospital beds earmarked for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.

Dr Shobha Broor, former head of the department of microbiology at AIIMS, said: “There is a downward trend, but not everyone in Delhi has had the infection. For now, what has helped Delhi is the high testing rate, which in turn means that more cases must have been detected and isolated preventing further spread. It is not the time to slow down. The high testing rate must be maintained. The number of beds that have been earmarked so far should also remain because once we de-escalate getting the numbers back might be a challenge. The government should wait at least a month to decide if we can lower our guard.”