Today’s high comes after a week-end low of 4,001 cases (File)
New Delhi:
Delhi logged a record 6,725 fresh cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours — the highest daily tally since the outbreak reached the national capital. The city has been reporting more than 5,000 cases for most of the last week. This was the first time the figure crossed the 6,000 mark. The second-highest surge was logged on October 30, with 5,891 cases.
Today’s high comes after a week-end low of 4,001. Over the last months, Sundays have been marked by the lower number of tests conducted, which is why Monday’s figures reflect a dip.
This week, 44,623 tests were conducted on Saturday while 36,665 tests conducted on Sunday. This is way below the 55,000 to 60,000 tests conducted on a weekday.
The figure that is causing more concern is a huge spike in daily positivity rate — meaning the percentage of tests conducted that come positive. Compared to the national average of 3.7, the figure in Delhi is 11.3. Today,Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan had emphasised that all states should make efforts towards keeping the positivity rate below 5 per cent.
Data from health ministry also shows 48 deaths were recorded over the last 24 hours, along with 3,610 recoveries. The total number of cases have crossed the 4-lakh mark and is standing at 4,03,096.
The surge in cases comes as Delhi appears to be heading for a cold wave. The minimum temperate today dropped to 10 degrees Celsius — a record low this season. The meteorology office has said it would declare a cold wave if the temperature stays this low tonight as well.
Along with the mercury, a huge drop has been recorded in the capital’s air quality too.
Scientists had warned that low temperature, coupled with increasing pollution levels, could lead to an exponential spike in coronavirus cases in Delhi. Last month, the National Centre for Disease Control had put the figure at upto 15,000 cases a day in the winter.