COVID-19 in Delhi: 340 fresh cases, four fatalities

Delhi recorded 340 fresh COVID-19 cases and four deaths on Thursday, the daily fatality count dropping to a single digit after several months, even as the positivity rate slipped to 0.48 per cent.

This is also the eleventh time the daily incidences count stood below the 500-mark in January.

The infection tally in the city stood at over 6.31 lakh and the death toll mounted to 10,722 with four new fatalities, they said.

Eleven COVID-19 deaths were recorded on Wednesday.

On June 9, the city had recorded seven fatalities from COVID-19, while the daily death count had stood at three on April 30, according to official data. Death count has been in double digits mostly in the last few months, at times crossing the three-figure mark.

The highest single-day spike in Delhi till date -- 8,593 cases -- was reported on November 11, while on November 19, the city recorded 131 COVID-19 deaths, the highest single-day fatality count till date.

This month, 585 cases were reported on January 1 and 494 on January 2; 424 on January 3; 384 on January 4, and 442 on January 5; 654 on January 6; 486 on January 7 and 444 on January 8; 519 on January 9 and 399 on January 10; 306 on January 11 and 386 on January 12 and 357 on January 13.

The active cases tally on Thursday dropped to 2,937 from 2,991 the previous day, while the positivity rate dropped to 0.48 per cent.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain had earlier said that the positivity rate had been below one per cent for the past several days, indicating improvement in the pandemic situation here.

On December 29 and 30, the city had recorded 703 and 677 cases respectively. On December 31,574 cases were recorded.

These 340 new cases came out the 71,325 tests conducted the previous day, including 39,226 RT-PCR tests and 32,099 rapid antigen tests, according to the latest bulletin issued by the Delhi Health Department.

The bulletin said that the total number of cases has climbed to 6,31,589.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said the Delhi government is fully prepared for the COVID-19 vaccination rollout starting January 16, with over 8,000 healthcare workers to be immunised every scheduled day in the national capital.

Addressing an online media briefing, he said the city government has received in total 2.74 lakh doses of the vaccine so far from the Centre, which would be sufficient to cater to 1.2 lakh healthcare workers.

According to the Thursday bulletin, out of the total number of 11,976 beds in COVID hospitals, 10,743 are vacant.

It said that 193 beds in COVID care centres are occupied by persons under quarantine, including travellers who have returned by Vande Bharat Mission and bubble flights.

The number of tests done per million, as on Wednesday was over 5.08 lakh while the total number of tests stood at over 96 lakh.

The bulletin said that 6,17,930 patients have recovered, been discharged or migrated so far.

The number of containment zones in Delhi dropped to 2,501 on Thursday from 2,585 the previous day, authorities said.

The number of people in home isolation dropped to 1,311 on Thursday from 1,345 the previous day.