Delhi’s Covid-19 tally gallops to over 56K after highest spike

Delhi now has 23,340 active cases of Covid-19 while 31,294 patients have been cured or discharged including 7,725 on Saturday.

Yet another massive surge of 3,630 new cases – the highest yet – took Delhi’s Covid-19 tally to 56,746 on Saturday.

Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal interacts with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during a meeting with Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) at Rajniwas, in New Delhi on Saturday. (HT PHOTO)

According to the Delhi health department, 77 casualties in the day took the death toll to 2,112.

The national capital now has 23,340 active cases while 31,294 patients have been cured or discharged including 7,725 on Saturday.

A total of 17,533 tests were carried out on Saturday. So far, 3,51,909 tests have been carried out in Delhi with the rate of testing now at 18,521 people per million of population.

Earlier in the day, Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal withdrew his controversial order of mandatory five-day institutional quarantine for every Covid-19 case in the capital after stiff opposition from the AAP government which maintained that the mandatory institutional quarantine will seriously harm the city as its facilities will not be able to take the burden of the rising number of cases

As Covid-19 cases soared, the Delhi government directed all hospitals and medical institutions under it to recall their employees, who are currently on leave, and report for duty immediately. Leave of any kind would only be granted under “most compelling circumstances”.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Singh who is in an intensive care unit in a private hospital after testing positive for Covid-19, was administered plasma therapy on Saturday.