Delhi Covid Spike Raises Hospitalisations, 8-10 Deaths Every Day

Hospitalisations are up in Delhi as the city reports a surge in coronavirus cases, authorities warned on Tuesday, urging people to wear masks and observe COVID-19 precautions.

"We are witnessing a rise in COVID-19 infections, consistently high positivity and cases of reinfection. It is essential that we realise that the pandemic is far from over. I appeal to all to strictly adhere to COVID Appropriate Behaviour. We cannot afford to let our guards down," Delhi's Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena tweeted.

Public health expert Dr Suneela Garg, a member of the Lancet Commission, told NDTV, "The recovery rate is good, but cases are rising and hospitalisation has picked up. Over 500 (Covid) beds are occupied at the moment of the 9,000. Over 20 of the 2,129 ICU beds are occupied. 65 patients on are ventilation at the moment."

"There is no need to panic, but this is a marker of caution," she added.

Delhi on Monday had reported 1,227 new COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 14.57 per cent, along with eight deaths, according to data shared by the health department.

Before this, the city logged more than 2,000 cases daily for 12 consecutive days.

While the capital had reported 2,162 COVID-19 cases and five deaths on Sunday, a day before that, it logged nine deaths due to COVID-19 and 2,031 cases.

On Friday, Delhi saw 10 deaths, the highest in six months, and 2,136 cases with a positivity rate of 15.02 per cent.

The national capital recorded 12 deaths due to COVID-19 on February 13.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had last week said though the cases were on the rise, there was no need to panic as most of them were mild.

Despite the rise in the positivity rate, the city government has not announced the implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) devised by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority yet.

The GRAP came into force in August last year, listing measures to be taken by the government following the positivity rate and bed occupancy for locking and unlocking of various activities.

Delhi reported its all-time high of daily COVID-19 cases of 28,867 on January 13 and a positivity rate of 30.6 per cent a day later during the third wave of the pandemic.