NEW DELHI: High Covid-19 death rate in the national capital is due to the pollution caused by stubble-burning, said Delhi’s Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Monday.
The minister while speaking to mediapersons said that the pollution due to stubble-burning caused problems in breathing and those who had Covid-19 inhaled the smoke, which aggravated the seriousness.
However, the minister expressed hope that the and count of deaths is expected to see a downtrend in it in the next two-three weeks as pollution due to stubble-burning has lessened in the last few days.
“There was heavy pollution due to stubble-burning amid the Covid-19 pandemic and it came as a double attack. Since the pollution due to stubble-burning is less now, the downtrend in deaths will be there in a few weeks,” Jain said.
On Monday, Delhi reported 4,454 fresh Covid-19 cases and a positivity rate of 11.94 percent while 121 more fatalities pushed the death toll to 8,512, city authorities said. This is the sixth time in the last 12 days that the daily number of deaths has crossed the 100-mark.
The national capital recorded 6,746 fresh Covid-19 cases on Sunday and a positivity rate of 12.29 per cent, while 121 more fatalities pushed the city’s death toll due to the disease to 8,391, authorities said.
The authorities reported 111 deaths on Saturday, 118 on Friday, 131 on November 18, the highest till date, and 104 on November 12.
The national capital has reported a death rate of 1.58 per cent among Covid-19 patients as compared to the national fatality rate of 1.48 per cent.
At least five persons die due to Covid-19 every hour on an average in Delhi in the last 24 hours, accounting for the largest chunk of such fatalities across the country, which recorded an average of 21 deaths in this period, stated an analysis which was based on the data from the Union Health Ministry.
The government has ordered 90 private hospitals to reserve 60 per cent of their total bed capacity for Covid patients, while 42 private hospitals have been directed to reserve 80 per cent of their total ICU bed capacity for such patients.
The sudden spike in coronavirus cases came amid the festive season and rising pollution level.