Amid Omicron scare, Delhi logs 5-month high of 86 new cases

■ Highest rise in over 5 months, case positivity rate 0.13%

The national capital on Saturday recorded 86 fresh Covid cases in a day, the highest in over five months, and zero death as the positivity rate stood at 0.13 per cent, according to data shared by the city’s health department. On July 8, Delhi had reported 93 coronavirus cases with a positivity rate of 0.12 per cent, and three deaths.

The rise in cases is being recorded amid the Omicron scare in Delhi as the total number of patients infected with the latest variant of coronavirus jumped by 12 on Friday to reach 22.

The number of Covid cases recorded in Delhi so far has reached 14,42,090. Over 14.16 lakh patients have recovered from the disease.

On Thursday, 85 cases were recorded with a positivity rate of 0.15 per cent, while on Friday the daily cases count stood at 69 with a positivity rate of 0.12 per cent.

Delhi had logged 76 cases on July 10 with a positivity rate of 0.09 per cent, while the daily tally had risen to 85 on August 1, when one death was also recorded, as per official data. The death toll due to the coronavirus infection in Delhi stands at 25,100.

Two deaths due to Covid have been recorded in December so far in Delhi. Seven Covid deaths were reported in November four in October and five in September.

The case positivity rate was 0.13 per cent on Saturday, according to the health bulletin. On Wednesday, 57 cases were recorded in Delhi with a positivity rate of 0.10 per cent. A total of 66,096 tests —59,901 RT-PCR and 6,195 rapid antigen tests — were conducted a day ago, the bulletin stated.

Delhi currently has 484 active cases, up from 466 on Friday. The number of people under home isolation stood at 203 on Saturday while it was 210 a day before.

The number of containment zones in the city stood at 153, up from 145 on Friday, the bulletin said. Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain had on Thursday said many international travellers are being tested Covid positive upon arrival at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.