Delhi records 429 new Covid cases in a day, positivity rate rises to 16.09%

Delhi recorded 429 fresh Covid cases on Sunday, the highest in more than seven months, with the positivity rate rising to 16.09 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department.

One Covid-related death was reported in the city. The health bulletin, however, said the primary cause of death was not Covid.

The death toll due to the infection stands at 26,530.

Delhi saw 416 fresh Covid cases on Saturday with a positivity rate of 14.37 per cent. The city recorded 295 coronavirus cases on Thursday with a positivity rate of 12.48 per cent.

On Wednesday, the national capital logged 300 cases and two deaths while the positivity rate was 13.89 per cent.

Delhi recorded 214 cases with a positivity rate of 11.82 per cent on Tuesday, 115 cases with a positivity rate of 7.45 per cent on Monday, and 153 cases with a positivity rate of 9.13 per cent last Sunday.

The Delhi government is keeping an eye on the spurt in Covid cases in the national capital and is "prepared to face any eventuality", Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday.

Only three deaths have been reported over the last four-five days. In all three patients, comorbidities were "very severe" and it has been assessed that the fatality was due to comorbidities and perhaps Covid was "incidental", but one can't say that, he had said.

Addressing reporters after chairing a review meeting on the Covid situation in Delhi, Kejriwal had said there was no need to worry for now and that the city government was taking all required steps.

Delhi has witnessed an increase in the number of fresh Covid cases over the last few days amid a sharp rise in the figure of H3N2 influenza cases in the country.

The number of fresh cases had seen a decline over the last few months in Delhi, and it had dropped to zero on January 16, the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic here.

With the fresh cases, the city's Covid tally has increased to 20,10,741. The data showed that 2,667 Covid tests were conducted on Saturday.

Eighty-seven of the 7,989 beds are occupied in dedicated Covid hospitals in the city, while 879 patients are in home isolation, the health department said. The number of active cases of the infection currently stands at 1,395, it added.

Amid a gradual increase in the number of Covid cases in Delhi, medical experts say the new XBB.1.16 variant of the virus could be driving the surge.

However, they maintain that there is no need to panic and people should follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and get booster shots of the vaccines.

They also say this rise in the number of cases could be a result of more people getting themselves tested for Covid as a precaution when they actually get infected with the influenza virus and develop fever and related symptoms.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said the rise in the number of influenza cases is due to the Influenza A sub-type H3N2 virus.

The H3N2 virus is leading to more hospitalisations than the other subtypes. The symptoms include a runny nose, persistent cough and fever.