Spike of 1,359 cases takes Delhi's COVID-19 tally to over 25K; death toll climbs to 650

Delhi recorded 1,359 fresh coronavirus cases on Thursday, which took the city's COVID-19 tally past the 25,000-mark, and the death toll due to the disease mounted to 650, authorities said.

The highest single-day spike of 1,513 cases in the national capital was recorded on Wednesday.

In a bulletin, the Delhi health department said the death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 650 and the number of cases mounted to 25,004 on Thursday. A total of 44 fatalities were reported on June 3, which took place between May 3 and June 3, the bulletin said.Seventeen deaths took place on June 2, it added.

The bulletin, however, said the cumulative death figure refers to fatalities where the primary cause of death was found to be COVID-19, according to a report of the Death Audit Committee on the basis of the case-sheets received from various hospitals.  On Wednesday, the number of COVID-19 cases in the national capital stood at 23,645, including 606 deaths. 

Meanwhile, in an order on Thursday, the Delhi government said 56 private facilities were directed to reserve a proportionate number of beds for COVID-19 patients or otherwise, in the EWS category. Also, sources said the dedicated COVID-19 hospitals were told to upgrade beds as per five categories.

Level 4 beds -- those equipped with ventilators; Level 3, Level 2 and Level 1 beds -- those equipped with oxygen supply of varying quantity; and Level 0 -- refers to recovery or observation beds, they said. The city government issued a fresh, simplified standard operating procedure (SOP) on Thursday for admission or triage of a patient after arrival at the hospital. COVID-19 patients shall be brought to the triage area from the ambulance without asking any details. This process must be completed in 15 minutes, it said.

The hospital authorities should maintain a dedicated, round-the-clock helpline to lodge complaints from patients on treatment or quality of food and other facilities, it said. As many as 9,898 patients have recovered, have been discharged or have migrated so far, while there are 14,456 active cases in the national capital, the Delhi health department said.

A total of 2,36,506 COVID-19 tests have been conducted till date, it said. The number of COVID-19 patients under home isolation stands at 9,473, it said. As many as 307 patients are on ventilators or in the ICU. The number of COVID-19 containment zones increased to 152 in Delhi on Thursday from 148 on Wednesday, according to the bulletin.