Amid a surge in coronavirus infections in Delhi, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday said that the overwhelming majority of people hospitalised due to Covid-19 have not taken booster vaccine doses.
In yet another sign that vaccination is critical to prevent deaths and severe illness, Sisodia said that only 90 per cent of Covid-19 patients in hospitalis have missed their booster doses.
Sisodia said, "Ninety per cent of corona-infected patients admitted to the hospital are those patients who have taken only two doses of the vaccine. At the same time, only 10 per cent of the patients got corona infected after the third dose of the vaccine. It is clear from this that people who apply precautionary doses are safer from corona infection."
In order to keep Delhiites safe from the coronavirus, the Delhi government has increased the pace of inoculation of precaution doses, the government said.
Sisodia held a meeting with senior officers of the Health Department and district magistrates to expedite vaccination. Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, who was also present in the meeting, directed the district magistrates to visit the ground to know the status of vaccination camps to be set up at crowded places such as metro stations, markets, and malls.
Sisodia said the Delhi government is keeping a close watch on the coronavirus situation and has already upgraded its health infrastructure.
"Along with this, all the hospitals have also been asked to remain on alert. However, now people are also showing carelessness and it has been seen that many people are not taking precautionary doses," stressed Sisodia.
Delhi Covid-19 surge in numbers
All parameters of Covid-19 have witnessed a surge since the beginning of this month — daily infections, daily deaths, hospitalisations, patients needing oxygen support and ventilators.
Betweem July 31-August 13, hospitalisations and deaths almost doubled in Delhi, according to numbers taken from official health bulletins.
Around 6 per cent of Covid-19 hospital beds are occupied in Delhi as of August 12.
Around 3 per cent of Covid-19 hospital beds were occupied in Delhi as of July 31.
On August 12, 128 people were on oxygen support in Delhi hospitals and 15 were on ventilator.
On July 31, 70 people were on oxygen support in Delhi hospitals and eight were on ventilator.
The rise in hospitalisation suggests an increase in the severity of the disease.
Delhi has touched the seven month high twice in terms of daily infections within last two weeks.
On August 5, Delhi reported 2,423 Covid-19 daily cases, the highest in nearly seven months. That record was broke within a week.
On August 11, Delhi reported 2,726 daily Covid-19 cases, breaking the seven-month record set just six days back.
Daily deaths too have witnessed a spike. On August 12, Delhi reported 10 Covid-related deaths in the past 24 hours, the highest in six months.
Positivity rate jumps sharply on Tuesday
Delhi on Tuesday reported 917 Covid-19 infections at a positivity rate of 19.20, the highest since January.
Three Covid-related deaths were also reported.
The positivity rate at 19.20 was a sharp jump from 14.57 on Monday. Earlier on Delhi reported the positivity rate of 17.85, the highest since January 21.
Earlier this month, Delhi reported over 2,000 daily infections for 12 days in a row.
(With PTI inputs)
