India shows 30% jump in new cases since Diwali
38,617 new virus cases reported in the past 24 hours, says health ministry; only 50 guests allowed at weddings in Delhi
Ater the Diwali weekend and Bhai Dooj celebrations came to an end, India recorded more than 30 per cent jump in new cases of virus with 38,617 new cases reported in past 24 hours pushing the cumulative the tally to 89,12,907, data from the Union Health Ministry showed on Wednesday.
The toll rose to 1,30,993 with 474 more deaths in one day. The number of active cases stood at 4,46,805. As many as 83,35,109 people have recovered from the disease so far.
On Tuesday, India reported 29,164 new cases and 449 deaths. The figure of Wednesday is almost 32 per cent more in the single-day spike.
The situation of Covid-19 in Delhi-ncr remained grim. The latest surge has let the healthcare system gasping for relief.
The hospital, both government and private hospitals have 10 per cent ICU beds with ventilators, which are extremely crucial for patients with severity.
Apart from severe patients, the patients with moderate symptoms are made to wait hours before admission in the hospitals. Besides, non-covid patients are running from pillar to post just to acquire a single hospital bed in the capital city. The situation has forced the Delhi government to reconsider imposing restrictions it lited months ago.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has sent a proposal to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and the Centre to consider allowing only 50 people to atend weddings and imposing lockdown in market areas which may emerge as hotspots.
Besides, the district administration of Gautam Budh Nagar decided to randomly test commuters going to Noida from Delhi for the coronavirus from Wednesday.
The decision has come amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the capital.
No more than 50 people can be invited for a wedding in Delhi as the cases of the coronavirus disease continue to soar in the national capital, the Kejriwal government ordered on Wednesday.
Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said that Lieutenant Governor (LG) Anil Baijal has given approval for the revised limit.
The government revised the earlier cap of 200 people as Delhi witnessed record new cases of the coronavirus disease in the week ending Nov.14 and daily fatalities hovered close to 100 a day.
“This was essential as the larger the crowd at a place, the more harmful it is. Lockdown won’t be imposed but people have to be stopped from gathering in large numbers,” Sisodia said.
Earlier in the day, both Sisodia and Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain assured that there will be no lockdown in the Capital but local restrictions are likely to be imposed at some places.
“A few weeks back, when the Covid-19 situation improved in Delhi, the government in keeping with central guidelines issued an order allowing 200 people to atend weddings, up from the limit of 50 before.