The highest single-day peak in cases so far, at 8,593, was recorded on November 11. (Archive)
New Delhi:
Delhi recorded 7,486 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing the count of infections in the city to more than 5 lakh, while 131 new deaths, the highest count in a single day to date, brought the death toll to 7,943, authorities said.
The new cases emerged from more than 62,000 tests carried out the day before, marking a positivity rate of 12.03 percent amid the festive season and the increase in pollution in the national capital, according to the latest bulletin issued by the department health center of Delhi.
The highest single-day peak in cases so far, at 8,593, was recorded on November 11.
The number of active cases in the city has risen to 42,458 from 42,004 the day before. The total number of cases has risen to 5,03,084.
With the city struggling at its worst in the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities have drawn up plans to re-establish some restrictions, such as blocking some markets, if necessary.
Although new cases are falling in other parts of the country, the situation is different in Delhi, a 2 million rupee city shrouded in air pollution, where crowds packed Diwali markets last week.
With palms together during a live broadcast on Twitter on Tuesday, Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called on people to wear masks and maintain social distancing.
“If … we see that social distancing and the use of masks are not being followed in any bazaar and there is a possibility that those areas will become an access point, we should be able to close them for a few days,” he added.
As a popular time of year for weddings approaches, the Kejriwal government has also reduced the number of guests at such celebrations, from 200 to 50.
Delhi is also dealing with pollution, and the air has high levels of tiny pollutants the size known as PM 2.5, which doctors say can enter the nose to weaken the inner lining of the lungs and help spread the coronavirus.
Since mid-May, the capital has gradually opened markets and closed public transport during the initial phase of the pandemic.
(With inputs from agencies)
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