NEW DELHI: In just 19 days, the number of Covid cases in the city witnessed an alarming rise of over 430 per cent. While 932 new cases were reported on March 30, they rose to 4,976 on April 17, as per an analysis of the official data.
The active case count was, in fact, higher on Sunday at 5,297. But it was reduced after 321 patients completed their home isolation period on Monday and hence, were removed from the list of active cases.
Cumulatively, the city has reported more than 13,000 cases of Covid in the past 19 days, according to the official data.
Though Delhi has seen a spike in Covid cases in the recent past, hospitalisation remains low. Experts have maintained that there is no need to panic and people should follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and get booster shots of vaccines.
LNJP Hospital’s medical director Suresh Kumar cautioned that Covid cases in the national capital will peak in the next couple of weeks. In the March 30-April 17 periods, more than 30 fatalities have been recorded, including five deaths on April 15.
Delhi on Monday logged 1,017 Covid cases, while the positivity rate jumped to 32.25 per cent, the highest in 15 months, according to data shared by the health department. The city’s Covid-19 tally climbed to 20,24,244 on Monday. Four new fatalities pushed the death toll to 26,567, the bulletin stated.
Delhi’s daily Covid case count breached the 1,000 mark again on April 12 for the first time in over seven months. Since then, the figures have been reported in four-digit only. Medical experts say the new XBB.1.16 variant of the virus could be driving the surge. Mock drills were conducted at various hospitals in Delhi on April 11 to check Covid preparedness, following guidelines from the Centre.