Covid: The tide turns in Delhi

With a drop in daily cases, the worst seems to be over. The government must review curbs

Over the past week, evidence continued to mount that Delhi’s latest Covid-19 wave is now receding just as fast as it advanced. On Sunday, for the first time in 19 days, Delhi reported fewer than 10,000 new cases of Covid-19. The daily positivity rate, the proportion of tests returning positive, dropped to an 18-day low of 13.3%. For context as to how fast these numbers are currently dropping, both these statistics were nearly three times higher just 10 days ago — on January 13, there were a record 28,867 cases in Delhi, while the positivity rate was 30.6% on January 14. Just as encouraging, if not more, are the numbers from hospitals. In all, 2,424 beds earmarked for Covid-19 patients were occupied in Delhi as on Sunday. This touched a peak of 2,784 on January 17, and has been consistently dropping since. The beds occupied on Sunday represented a mere 15% of the capacity available at present — and the government has stressed that this can be increased, if the need arises.

Rapid rise in cases, low hospitalisation, followed by a quick drop in cases are all trends that are consistent with Omicron-driven outbreaks not only the world over, but also in India’s other early outbreak centres such as Mumbai and Kolkata. All this reinforces the argument that the city appears to have tided over the worst of this wave, and experts have said that numbers are expected to continue to improve from here on. The data strengthen the case for some restrictions to be rolled back – a request that was also made by the Delhi government on Friday to the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). It asked DDMA, which is the authority on Covid-related rules, to withdraw the weekend curfew, lift the odd-even restriction on standalone shops, and allow private offices to call back 50% of their staff. DDMA, however, accepted only the last suggestion. The Delhi health department, too, has advised DDMA that the worst seems to be over, private schools have asked that they be allowed to open, and market associations have demanded that all restrictions be removed.

To be sure, it is still crucial that people continue to exert caution and strictly follow Covid-appropriate behaviour. But the time has come for the government to review the restrictions imposed on the city, and take a call based on emerging data and science. With infection numbers dropping, the government should review curbs that hit businesses and livelihoods in the larger public interest.