Delhi records 1,076 fresh COVID cases taking tally to over 1.4 lakh; CM asks health officials to bring fatalities to zero

The national capital recorded 1,076 fresh coronavirus cases and 11 deaths in the last 24 hours, authorities said on Wednesday, which is the lowest in many weeks even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal directed health officials to take steps to bring COVID-19-related fatalities to zero.

The active case tally on Wednesday rose to 10,072 from 9,897 the previous day.

Eleven fatalities in the last 24 hours was the lowest single-day toll for the city in many weeks. Twelve deaths were recorded a day before. The death toll now stands at 4,044 while the case count is 1,40,232.

According to the June 9 health bulletin, seven fatalities were recorded. However, the figures for many days in that month were revised after the Death Audit Committee reviewed COVID-19 related fatalities in the city.

Meanwhile, the four death monitoring committees, constituted by Kejriwal to analyse the high mortality rate in ten COVID-19 hospitals, submitted their reports suggesting measures like early recognition and transfer of patients to ICU and use of plasma at the initial stages to bring down the mortality rate.

In a statement, the government said the chief minister, who held a meeting with representatives of these panels, has said that all steps should be taken to bring deaths to zero in the city.

Delhi government has also decided to implement various suggestions given by these four committees to reduce the death rate in hospitals.

For Delhi government-run GTB hospital, suggestions were made that COVID-19 wards should be equipped with high-flow nasal oxygen therapy (HFNO) or BiPAP machines for early intervention besides early recognition and transfer of sick patients to ICU, and increased use of convalescent plasma early in the disease process.

After reporting daily cases below 1,000 for three consecutive days -- July 2 (961), July 3 (805) and July 4 (674), the capital recorded 1,074 cases.

This also coincided with increased testing. A total of 16,785 tests (11,915 RT-PCR and 4,870 Rapid Antigen) were conducted on Wednesday, the health bulletin said.  The positivity rate on Wednesday stood at 6.4 per cent while the recovery rate was nearly 90 per cent, as per the bulletin.

The number of tests conducted was low during the last three days. According to the July 4 bulletin, while 9,295 tests (4,108-RT PCR and 5,187 Rapid Antigen) were conducted in the preceding 24 hours, July 3 saw 10,133 (3,904-RT PCR and 6,229-Rapid Antigen) tests. Experts have cautioned that the Rapid Antigen tests have low responsiveness in comparison to the RT PCR.

The total number of tests done till date in Delhi stands at 10,99,882. The number of tests done per million, as on Wednesday, was 57,888, it said.

Also, Chief Secretary Vijay Dev chaired a meeting on formulation of augmented surveillance strategy for Delhi, the bulletin said.

According to Wednesday's bulletin, out of the total number of beds in COVID hospitals, 10,583 are vacant.

Also, 2,884 beds in COVID care centres are occupied by persons under quarantine, including travellers who have returned by Vande Bharat Mission and air bubble flights, it said.

According to the bulletin, 1,26,116 patients have recovered, been discharged or migrated so far. The number of people in home isolation stands at 5,227.

On Wednesday, the number of containment zones stood at 481.

In a related development, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia directed the Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC) to carry out a detailed study to improve the AAP government's revenue base, which has been hit hard by the pandemic.

Sisodia, who also holds the finance portfolio, said the DDC, an advisory body of the city government, should suggest short and long-term measures to improve the revenue base and submit its report within two months.

"The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has put a huge strain on government revenue and therefore, all-out efforts need to be made towards revenue augmentation so that the government is able to undertake all necessary works and programmes for the welfare of people of Delhi," Sisodia was quoted as saying in an official statement.

In another development, a three-day trial for contactless ticketing, in view of the pandemic, began in Delhi government buses plying between Anand Vihar ISBT and Badarpur Border.

Transport department of the Delhi government is going to introduce e-ticketing system to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in buses, transport minister Kailash Gahlot said.

The trial of contactless e-ticketing system began in all the cluster buses of route number 473 running between Anand Vihar ISBT and Badarpur Border. The trial will continue till August 7, a government statement said.