NEW DELHI: Amid a resurgence in coronavirus cases, the number of containment zones in the national capital has risen to 5,705, with South Delhi accounting for the maximum 1,303 red zones, according to official data.
Delhi had 2,183 containment zones on April 1.
The number swelled to 5,705 -- an increase of over 160 per cent -- by Sunday as another wave of COVID-19 cases hit the city.
According to data from the city government's revenue department, South Delhi has the maximum number of 1,303 containment zones.
Also, it is the only district with more than a thousand red zones.
East Delhi (164) has the lowest number of containment zones, followed by Central Delhi (254), Northeast Delhi (256) and Shahdara (309).
Of the 11 districts in the city, six have more than 500 containment zones -- North Delhi (727), New Delhi (612), South Delhi (556), West Delhi (523), Southeast Delhi (511), and South Delhi (1,303).
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Delhi has had a total of 21,669 containment zones, with Southwest Delhi recording 4,244, the highest in the city.
Of these, 3,688 have been de-contained.
At present, there are 556 active containment zones remaining in the district.
In compliance with the Union Health Ministry regulations, an area or building is marked as a containment zone when three or more COVID-19 positive cases are reported there. To prevent further contamination, more stringent restrictions are imposed in these areas.
Delhi recorded 10,774 fresh COVID-19 cases on Sunday, the highest single-day surge in the national capital till date, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal issuing a stark warning for residents that they should not step out of their homes unless it is urgent.
Asserting that the COVID-19 situation in Delhi is "very serious", the chief minister had said on Sunday the government is closely monitoring the situation and is not in favour of a complete lockdown.
On Sunday, 48 people died due to the disease. The positivity rate stood at 9.43 per cent.
The previous highest single-day spike in Delhi -- 8,593 cases -- was reported on November 11 last year, while on November 19, the city had recorded 131 COVID-19 deaths, the highest single-day fatality count till date.
"The fourth wave is more dangerous than the previous wave. The government is closely monitoring the situation," Kejriwal had said.
In just a few weeks, Delhi has gone from near-normalcy -- with less than 100 cases reported on a single day on February 16 -- to an exploding pandemic, a grim reminder that the virus is continuing to extract its toll.
The CM said his government does not want to impose lockdown in Delhi, but such a situation may arise if there is a rush to hospitals and beds are unavailable for serious patients.