Covid cases rising in Delhi as safety norms are flouted
■ Experts warn against non-adherence to Covid norms
New Delhi: Just as the Delhi government had asserted that the coronavirus pandemic had been “defeated” in the national capital, cases are on the rise again dramatically, as doctors on Friday warned that the numbers could go up in the coming months and urged people to continue to wear masks and follow Covid-19 safety norms. Delhi had recorded 94 fresh Covid-19 cases on February 16, the lowest in over nine months then. However, after a week on February 24, it more than doubled to 200 and increased further to 220 on Thursday and 256 on Friday. Many doctors cautioned that the rise was “alarming”.
New Delhi, Feb. 26: Delhi recorded 256 new Covid cases on Friday, the highest number of single-day incidences in February, while one fresh death pushed the death toll to 10,906, according to data shared by the city health department.
This is the third successive day when daily cases count have stood at 200mark or beyond.
On Thursday, 220 Covid cases were registered while on Wednesday the count stood at 200.
On all preceding days, spanning February 1-23, the count of daily cases had been recorded below 200. Delhi had recorded 199 fresh Covid cases on January 28.
From January 15-26, the daily figures ranged from 148 on January 25 to 299 on January 16, according to official data.
No Covid-related death was recorded in Delhi on February 17, the third time single-day fatality count had stood nil in this month.
On February 9 too, no fatality from coronavirus infection was registered, the first time this month, and after a gap of nearly nine months.
No death from Covid was recorded on February 13 as well.
On Friday, Delhi recorded 256 fresh Covid cases, while the positivity rate rose to 0.41 per cent, authorities said, adding that the infection tally in the city rose to 6,38,849, according to the latest health bulletin issued the city government.
These new cases came out of the 62,768 tests conducted the previous day, according to the health bulletin.
Delhi had recorded 94 fresh Covid cases on February 16, the lowest in over nine months.
Delhi had recorded 96 coronavirus cases on January 27, that time the lowest in over nine months, and the first time the daily incidences count had stood below the 100mark in that month.
The active cases tally on Friday rose to 1,231 from 1,169 the previous day, according to the bulletin.
The total number of tests conducted the previous day included 41,775 RTPCR tests and 20,993 rapid antigen tests, the bulletin said.
The number of people under home isolation on Friday rose to 574 from 536 on Thursday, it said.
Just as the government had asserted that the coronavirus pandemic had been “defeated” in the national capital, cases are on the rise again dramatically, as doctors on Friday warned that the numbers could go up in the coming months and urged people to continue to wear masks and follow Covid safety norms.
Health experts and doctors on Friday attributed this “sudden rise” to complacency in people and not following Covid appropriate behaviour and “assuming all is well now.