NEW DELHI: After gasping for breath for over two months during the second wave of Covid pandemic, Delhi seems to be returning to normalcy as daily infections have shown a steady decline in the last few days.
The city recorded 487 fresh cases, the lowest in over two-and-a-half months, and 45 fatalities on Thursday, while the positivity rate slumped to 0.61 per cent.
This is the first time the daily death toll has gone below the 50-mark since April 11 when the figure was 48. According to the latest health bulletin of Delhi government, these new fatalities pushed the Covid-19 death toll in the city to 24,447. On March 16, Delhi had recorded 425 cases and on March 17, the daily tally was 536, according to official data.
On Thursday, 487 fresh cases were recorded with a positivity rate of 0.61 per cent, according to the latest bulletin.
Meanwhile, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday visited two healthcare project sites.
“To provide Delhi with world-class health infrastructure, a new 1,168 bedded hospital is being constructed by the Delhi government at Siraspur. Visited the site today to inspect the work. The work is advancing at a great pace. Efforts are being made to complete the work on time,” he tweeted.
In another tweet, he said, “New blocks are being added in Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital by the Kejriwal government with advanced facilities. Inspected the remodelling work today. This will increase its existing bed capacity from 300 to 700 beds The transformed hospital will serve Delhiites for many decades.”
Meanwhile, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) has begun work on augmenting medical infrastructure at its various health facilities, and on Thursday a new ward equipped with 10 ventilators was inaugurated at a civic hospital, officials said.
North Delhi Mayor Jai Prakash said six such wards will be set up at Hindu Rao Hospital where all facilities including ventilators will be available.
He said in anticipation of the third wave of COVID-19, the NDMC is continuously strengthening the resources at its hospitals.
"Mayor Jai Prakash today inaugurated a new ward equipped with 10 ventilators at the Hindu Rao Hospital. On the occasion, Medical Superintendent Dr Anu Kapoor and other senior officers of the corporation were present," an NDMC official said.
The mayor said 166 ventilator beds are available at NDMC hospitals, out of which 20 are old and 146 new ventilators.
Prakash said the NDMC has received 100 ventilators from the Red Cross Society and six ventilators from the Sewa Bharti.
Thirty ventilators will be received from the PM Cares Fund, he added.
Work on setting up an oxygen plant would be completed in about two months, he said.
All the doctors, nurses and paramedical staff of NDMC hospitals have served the people selflessly for which they deserve commendation, the mayor said.
Prakash said the corporation is considering to provide post-Covid care facilities to the patients at Ayurvedic Panchakarma Hospital located at Prashant Vihar.
He said that it has been observed that patients who have been cured of coronavirus infection take some time to recover completely, wherein these Ayurvedic hospitals can prove to be very helpful.
Prakash on May 31 had said that a separate 100-bed coronavirus facility, especially for children, was coming up at the Mrs Girdhar Lal Maternity Hospital.
He had said the Centre, various religious and social organisations and NGOs are helping the civic body.
Delhi has been reeling under a brutal second wave of the pandemic that is sweeping the country, claiming a massive number of lives daily, with the recent oxygen supply shortage issue at various hospitals adding to the woes.
Over 14 lakh cases and more than 24,000 deaths have been reported in the national capital till date due to coronavirus, as per official data.
14,27,926 Total cases.
13,94,731 Total recoveries.
24,447 Total fatalities.
