Delhi records 500+ new cases, toll at 194

NEW DELHI: Delhi added 18 deaths from the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on Thursday, taking the city-state’s toll to 194. Of the total deaths, 121 were reported over the last 10 days, when the three-member death audit committee started reporting the backlog of deaths.

Delhi also recorded 571 new cases of Covid-19 on Thursday, taking the total number of cases to 11,659, according to the daily health bulletin released by the Delhi government. With over 500 new cases each day, Delhi has been recording the highest single-day spike for the last three days, the data shows. Until May 11, Delhi had reported 73 Covid-19 deaths, according to the daily bulletin. The higher number of deaths since still puts the mortality rate of the infection in the national capital at 1.6%, much lower than the national average of 3.03%. Two days ago, the Delhi government reiterated the need for timely reporting of Covid-19 deaths by designated hospitals. “It has come to our notice that both public and private hospitals are not reporting the deaths of positive cases of Covid-19 occurring in their hospitals in a timely manner,” it said in an order. The first order to this effect was issued by the city’s chief secretary Vijay Dev on May 10, asking all hospitals treating Covid-19 patients to send in reports of deaths by 5pm each day. The standard operating procedures were put in place after a discrepancy was noticed in cumulative number of deaths reported by the health bulletin and hospitals.