NEW DELHI: A day after a marginal drop in COVID-19 cases, Delhi registered the highest single-day spike of 792 new cases on Tuesday, taking the total figure above 15,000-mark.The city’s COVID figures have seen big fluctuations in past three days. Monday saw 412 new cases, a sharp dip from 635 a day before. The previous highest spike of 660 cases was recorded on May 22.
The death tally also crossed the 300-mark as 14 new fatalities were recorded in the daily health bulletin published by the Delhi government. Analysis of data points at a spike in cases since the AAP government allowed the markets to be opened. The number of cases registered in one week from May 20, when the markets had opened, till May 26, is 3,377, while the figure for the previous week (May 13-19) was 2,563.
It has just been a week since the markets have opened up on an odd-even basis as part of Lockdown 4.0 relaxations allowed by the state government, which also include movement of vehicles including buses, autos and cab services, apart from private vehicles.
Health experts had earlier alerted that owing to the relaxations, there could be a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases. The impact of removing the curbs will be more evident after another week.
Currently, 2,118 patients are admitted across 13 city-based government and private hospitals. At Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital under the Delhi government, 602 patients are admitted. More than 190 patients are in the ICU while 32 patients are kept on ventilation. At total of 124 patients are kept at health centres and 482 at COVID care centres while 3,878 persons are in home isolation.
Five more medical staff, including two doctors of IRCH (cancer ward) of AIIMS-Delhi have tested positive for coronavirus. A peon working at the New Delhi Medical Council also tested positive and has been kept at the Najafgarh quarantine centre.
