Delhi records 1,490 fresh Covid cases, two fatalities

New Delhi: Delhi's fresh COVID-19 cases rose by nearly nine per cent in last 24 hours as the city recorded 1,490 infections on Thursday and two deaths while the positivity rate stood at 4.62 per cent, according to data shared by the health department.

It was the seventh consecutive day that the national capital recorded over 1,000 daily new cases.

Prior to that, the city had reported 1,604 cases on February 5.

The infection tally in the national capital rose to 18,79,948 and the death toll was 26,172, the bulletin stated.

A total of 32,248 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the city on Wednesday, it said.

Delhi had reported 1,367 fresh COVID-19 cases and one fatality on Wednesday, while the positivity rate stood at 4.50 per cent.

On Tuesday, it recorded 1,204 cases and one death while the positivity rate was 4.64 per cent.

A day before that, the city saw 1,011 cases with a positivity rate of 6.42 percent and one death.

The city on Sunday recorded 1,083 COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 4.48 per cent, while one person died due to the disease.

With the national capital witnessing an uptick in coronavirus infections over the past few days, the number of active cases has now increased to 5,250 from 601 on April 11, according to health department data.

However, the hospitalisation rate has so far been low, accounting for less than three per cent of the total active cases, the bulletin showed.

Currently, 124 COVID-19 patients are admitted in Delhi hospitals, while 3,636 are recuperating in home-isolation, it said.

Of the 9,379 beds available for COVID-19 patients in various hospitals, only 151 (1.61 per cent) are occupied, the data showed.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday said that though COVID-19 cases have increased in the capital, the situation is not serious as people are not developing severe disease and hospitalisation rate is low.

He attributed the low hospitalisation rate to vaccinations and naturally acquired immunity.

The health bulletin also said that 1,070 patients have recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours.

Currently there are 148 containment zones in the city, it said.

The city health department said that from April 21, Delhi has started providing free precautionary doses of COVID-19 vaccines to beneficiaries in the 18-59 age group at government vaccination centres. (PTI)