Active cases in Delhi on Friday dropped to 2,795 from 2,937 the previous day, while the positivity rate dropped to 0.44 percent
Representational Image. AP
New Delhi: Delhi recorded 295 fresh COVID-19
cases on Friday, the lowest in more than eight months, even as city Health Minister Satyendar Jain said the positivity rate has slipped to an “all-time low” of 0.44 percent.
This is also the twelfth time that the daily incidences count stood below the 500-mark in January, and sixth consecutive day since January 10 when the figures have stood below the 400-mark.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal applauded people of Delhi in a tweet, “Well done Delhi! Delhi records the lowest number of Covid cases in the last 8 months. The positivity rate stands at an all-time low at 0.44%. With the resilience of the Delhiites, we are committed to fight and beat Corona.”
Jain also tweeted, “Lowest number of cases recorded since 9th of May 2020.Positivity rate in Delhi has been dropped to all time low of 0.44%. Wear Mask and follow social distancing to keep yourself and your family safe.”
The infection tally in the city stood at over 6.31 lakh and the death toll mounted to 10,732 with 10 new fatalities, they said.
On 26 April, the city had recorded 293 cases, according to official data.
This month, 585 cases were reported on January 1 and 494 on January 2; 424 on January 3; 384 on January 4, and 442 on January 5; 654 on January 6; 486 on January 7 and 444 on January 8; 519 on January 9 and 399 on January 10; 306 on January 11 and 386 on January 12 and 357 on January 13 and 340 on January 14.
The active cases tally on Friday dropped to 2,795 from 2,937 the previous day, while the positivity rate dropped to 0.44 percent.
These 295 new cases came out the 66,921 tests conducted the previous day, including 38,990 RT-PCR tests and 27,931 rapid antigen tests, according to the latest bulletin issued by the Delhi health department.
The bulletin said that the total number of cases has climbed to 6,31,884, while the recovery rate stood at over 97 per cent.
The Delhi health minister had earlier said that the positivity rate had been below one per cent for the past several days, indicating improvement in the pandemic situation here.
In another tweet, Jain shared a government order, according to number of reserved COVID beds and COVID ICU beds have been further de-escalated at 45 private hospitals having more than 100 beds and providing treatment to coronavirus patients.
A review meeting was held on Friday in which beds availability at 115 private hospitals offering COVID treatment were analysed, the order says.
Keeping in view the low occupancy of beds, it has been decided to further reduce the COVID beds from 30 per cent of total bed capacity to 15 per cent of that capacity, and for COVID ICU beds, from 40 per cent of total ICU beds to 25 per cent of total ICU beds or at least twice the number of occupancy of COVID beds and COVID ICU beds as on January 15, whichever is higher at the 45 private hospitals, the order said.
The other 70 private hospitals, having less than 100 beds, shall have an option of reserving COVID beds and COVID ICU beds at their facilities, it said.
According to the Friday bulletin, out of the total number of 11,950 beds in COVID hospitals, 10,779 are vacant.
It said that 202 beds in COVID care centres are occupied by persons under quarantine, including travellers who have returned by the Vande Bharat Mission and bubble flights.
The number of tests done per million, as on Wednesday was over 5.1 lakh while the total number of tests stood at over 97 lakh.
The bulletin said that 6,18,357 patients have recovered, been discharged or migrated so far.
The number of containment zones in Delhi dropped to 2,451 on Friday from 2,501 the previous day, authorities said.
The number of people in home isolation dropped to 1,275 on Friday from 1,311 the previous day.