Photos: Delhi prepares for double testing to check Covid-19 spike
Updated On Aug 28, 2020 01:19 PM IST
Covid-19 tests in Delhi will soon be doubled to 40,000 per day as part of measures to contain a "marginal" increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the city, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on August 26 as the national capital recorded its highest daily spike in cases in the last 45 days. The city recorded 1,840 fresh COVID-19 cases on August 27 taking its total caseload to 1,67,604. 22 fatalities in the last 24 hours pushed the death toll to 4,369. Official data also shows a steady increase in the number of active cases since August 5, except on three days when the city recorded a marginal fall in instances of the viral disease compared to the previous day figures.
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Updated on Aug 28, 2020 01:19 PM IST
People in a crowded marketplace at Pandav Nagar following the reopening of weekly markets in the national capital on August 26. Covid-19 cases in Delhi are increasing, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal acknowledged on August 26 at an emergency meeting, where a decision was made to double the number of daily tests from current levels to around 40,000 per day in an effort to catch and isolate more infections. (Raj K Raj / HT Photo)
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Updated on Aug 28, 2020 01:19 PM IST
An auto rickshaw driver gets his ears cleaned along a street in New Delhi on August 27. With 1,693 new cases reported on August 26, the last seven days have seen an average of 1,375 cases. This is the highest since the seven-day period ending in July 15, when 1,732 cases were recorded on an average. Experts warn that Delhi, the first Covid-19 hot spot to get some measure of control over the disease, stands at a critical juncture. (Xavier Galiana / AFP)
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Updated on Aug 28, 2020 01:19 PM IST
A health worker tests for coronavirus in Jhandewalan, New Delhi on August 27. The increase has been preceded by a drop in testing and an increased focus on the relatively less reliable rapid test – an issue highlighted in HT reports on August 15 and 16. In light of these trends, the rate of testing will be doubled over the next week, Kejriwal said, while assuring that the situation was still under control. (Vipin Kumar / HT Photo)
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Updated on Aug 28, 2020 01:19 PM IST
Men sit under a bridge along the swollen Yamuna river following heavy rain at Kashmere Gate in New Delhi on August 24. “Other parameters are in good shape. For instance, the death rate is low. For August, it is 1.4%, which is the best in the country. We have adequate hospital beds too. There are 14,130 total beds now, of which 10,448 beds are vacant,” the CM said. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)
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Updated on Aug 28, 2020 01:19 PM IST
Guests arrive at Ashok Hotel after it reopened in New Delhi on August 24. In the 7-day period ending on August 26, the average positive rate for daily tests was 7.8%. The last time this number was this high was in the week ending July 18. Test positive rate can rise if there are fewer tests, but also if the outbreak is growing, HT reported. (Shahbaz Khan / PTI)
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Updated on Aug 28, 2020 01:19 PM IST
Police stop a commuter for not wearing a face mask in public, at India Gate in New Delhi on August 26. Other factors that data and circumstantial indicators suggest may be powering a spurt in cases are behavioural fatigue that could be reducing mask discipline, the reopening of the city leading to crowding, a lag in reporting leading to a possible statistical build-up, and the possibility that the rise may be part of a cyclical wave trajectory of the epidemic. (Biplov Bhuyan / HT Photo)
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Updated on Aug 28, 2020 01:19 PM IST
Workers register with the Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board at a registration camp in Model Town on August 25. In statements offered separately, the chief minister’s office said the increase in cases was a “momentary situation” that does not, at the moment, require putting curbs on the economic activities that have been allowed, and the government still believes the Delhi Metro must be restarted. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)
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Updated on Aug 28, 2020 01:19 PM IST