Delhi’s case tally crosses 15,000 as 792 fresh infections reported
NEW DELHI: On Wednesday, a day after the number of new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in Delhi fell below 500 (412) for the first time in a week, the national capital reported 792 infections of the disease, the Delhi government’s daily health bulletin said. The fresh cases took Delhi’s infection tally to 15,257.
The bulletin said 15 more deaths have taken the toll from Covid-19 in the city to 303. The Covid-19 mortality rate in the city is now almost 2%.
The Delhi government’s three-member death audit committee on Wednesday received the reports of 53 deaths from Safdarjung Hospital; the deaths occurred between February 1 and May 16. The deaths are yet to be included in Delhi’s tally.
As more people are being tested, the percentage of people testing positive went up to 13.7% on Wednesday from 7.6% on May 18.
NEW DELHI: On Wednesday, a day after the number of new Covid-19 cases in Delhi fell below 500 (412) for the first time in a week, the national capital reported 792 infections of the disease, the Delhi government’s daily health bulletin said. The fresh cases took Delhi’s infection tally to 15,257 since the first Covid-19 case was reported on March 2.
The bulletin said 15 more deaths have taken the toll from Covid-19 in the city to 303. The Covid-19 mortality rate in the city is now almost 2%, compared to 2.8% nationally. Delhi’s mortality rate has been going up since a three-member death audit committee started adding more deaths caused by the pandemic to the cumulative report from May 12. With 86 deaths and 7,639 cases, the mortality rate was 1.1% in Delhi on May 12.
According to the daily data released by the Delhi government, more people are being tested and the percentage of people
› The lockdown was like a lid. People were staying indoors and not coming in contact with a lot of people. Once you lift the lid, more people are bound to get infected. LALIT KANT, Indian Council of Medical Research
testing positive went up to 13.7% on Wednesday from 7.6% on May 18 when Delhi recorded 299 cases, one of the lowest in a day this month. This brings Delhi closer to the scenario for which a five-member advisory committee, to advise the CM on Covid-19, asked the government to be prepared for-- 1,000 cases daily. The first scenario was 100 and the second 500 cases daily.
Experts warned the number of cases is likely to go up further. “The lockdown [to check the pandemic spread] was like a lid. People were staying indoors and not coming in contact with a lot of people, reducing the chances of infections. Once you lift the lid, more people are bound to get infected,” said Dr Lalit Kant, the former epidemiology and communicable diseases head at the Indian Council of Medical Research.
Kant said that is the normal course of the infection. “The chances of the virus dying down on its own is minimal; it has not happened in any of the countries. The lockdown gave us time to prepare our systems. What we need to do is keep our vulnerable safe-the old, people with a compromised immune system, the poor bearing the brunt of the lockdown and who do not have good nutrition--to reduce mortality.”
The Delhi government eased the lockdown last week and allowed public transport, reopening of the markets based on the odd-even formula and liquor shops, except those inside malls.
The Delhi government has maintained since March that it is prepared to handle 1,000 cases daily. Given that 30% of all active cases in Delhi are currently hospitalised, 1,000 daily cases would at least lead to around 300 hospital admissions a day.
According to the Delhi government, there are 4,462 Covid-19 beds, 429 intensive care unit beds, 343 beds with ventilators, and 2,632 beds with oxygen support in the city hospitals. Another 5,716 beds are available in 19 Covid Care Centres for isolation of mild cases. Half of all the Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms are under home isolation, according to the daily health bulletin.