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COVID-19: Delhi records 118 new cases, one death; positivity rate 0.19 pc

The average rise in fresh cases in the span of last few days here is being recorded amid a jump in cases of new Omicron variant of Covid in Delhi.

COVID-19: Delhi records 118 new cases, one death; positivity rate 0.19 pc
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Delhi on Thursday recorded 118 fresh Covid cases, and one death, while the positivity rate stood at 0.13 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department.

On Wednesday, the national capital had logged 125 cases, the highest since June 22, with a positivity rate of 0.20 per cent while no death due to the coronavirus infection was recorded, as per official figures.

The death toll due to the coronavirus infection in Delhi has risen to 25,103, as per the latest health bulletin. Five deaths have been reported in December, so far.  The number of cumulative cases on Thursday stood at 14,42,633. Over 14.16 lakh patients have recovered from the infection.

On Tuesday, the daily cases count stood at 101 with a positivity rate of 0.20 per cent, while one death was reported. Seven COVID-19 deaths were reported here in November this year, the highest count of fatalities due to coronavirus infection in the last three months in the national capital, according to official data. Delhi had recorded four Covid deaths in October and five in September

A total of 61,322 ests -- 56,054 RT-PCR tests and 5,268 rapid antigen tests -- were conducted a day ago, the bulletin said.  Meanwhile, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday held a review meeting in view of the rising cases of Omicron variant of Covid in Delhi.

During the meeting, the chief minister took stock of the preparations and asserted that system of home isolation was being strengthened. "From hospitals to medicines, Delhi government's preparations are solid. The system of home isolation was being strengthened. It is an appeal to you be careful and don't allow this new variant to spread," Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi after the meet.

Amid a jump in cases of the latest variant in Delhi, doctors here on Friday had said people should avoid all gatherings and follow Covid-appropriate behaviours, else the pandemic situation may worsen given the highly transmissible nature of this variant of coronavirus.

Health experts and doctors treating Covid patients at leading government and private facilities in the city have said that a "sense of complacency" has again crept in among a large section of citizens despite witnessing the "horrors of the second wave" of Covid infections earlier this year.

Delhi Health Minister Jain had recently said that medical infrastructure was being ramped up and 37,000 beds dedicated for COVID-19 patients were being set up to tackle the anticipated third wave of the pandemic in the national capital.

The number of active cases stood at 684 on Thursday, up from 624 on Wednesday, according to the bulletin. The number of people under home isolation stood at 336 on Thursday while it was 289 a day before, and the number of containment zones in the city stood at 204, up from 184 on Wednesday, the bulletin said.

With inputs from PTI.