Updated: October 25, 2020 9:03:28 am
A health worker takes a swab sample for Covid-19 testing in New Delhi on October 19, 2020 (Express photo: Praveen Khanna)
After a brief two-week hiatus, Covid-19 cases in the city have started to rise again, with 4,116 cases recorded on Saturday, bringing the tally to 3,52,520.
A week ago, the positivity rate (percentage of people who tested positive for the disease versus those who were tested) had dropped to 5.6% during the week. With a sudden increase in cases, it rose to 6.8% on Friday and 7.4% on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Arvid Kejriwal said that the Covid-19 vaccine should be available across the country for free, when available. His comments came after the BJP promised free vaccination in its manifesto for the Bihar polls. “The whole country should receive the Covid-19 vaccine for free. It is the right of all citizens. The whole world is concerned about the virus, ”he told reporters after opening two flyovers in northeast Delhi.
So far, in Delhi, 6,225 people have died of Covid-19, 36 of them on Saturday.
Experts have warned of a sudden increase as the holiday season begins. “Several meetings have been held with both the CM and the LG, where the need to be a bit strict during the festive season has been discussed. People are getting tired of staying home. Many have not known family members for a long time and the wedding season is about to begin as well. As soon as Navratri started about a week ago, the crowds in the markets increased, and now cases have followed. If social distancing rules are not followed and if people do not wear masks, it is expected that over the next month the cases will increase until Diwali, ”said a senior Delhi government official.
There has been a slight increase in the seven-day cumulative growth in the number of cases. Although it stood at 0.96% in the week ending October 17, it rose slightly to 1.05% on Saturday. “This is a small increase, but next week is crucial. People generally begin to contract the disease and show symptoms after the fifth day of exposure. We have been asked to make sure there is no shortage of beds, as contamination is expected to cause more serious symptoms, ”the official said.
Delhi is running an average of around 54,000 tests daily, among the highest in the country.
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