While Covid-19 cases in Delhi have increased significantly in the past few weeks, deaths and hospitalisations because of the virus have also seen a significant rise in the last month, serving as a reminder that the pandemic is far from over.
Delhi brought back its fine for not wearing masks last week, months after it had announced that wearing masks in public places was voluntary. The Delhi government made it mandatory for people to wear masks in public places or face a fine of Rs 500.
Delhi's Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Tuesday tweeted asking residents of the city to maintain Covid rules. "We are witnessing a rise in COVID19 infections, consistently high positivity and cases of reinfection. It is essential that we realize that the pandemic is far from over. I appeal to all to strictly adhere to COVID Appropriate Behaviour. We cannot afford to let our guards down.
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Daily Fresh Cases Are Increasing
The number of fresh Covid cases that the national capital records daily has increased consistently in August. On August 3, Delhi recorded 2,073 new cases in one day for the first time in six months The last time Delhi had recorded such a number was in February, during the Omicron wave.
This month also saw the city recording over 2,000 new cases for five consecutive days between August 3 and August 7. The cases dipped below the 2,000 mark on August 8, recording 1,372 cases. On August 9, Delhi again crossed the mark recording 2,495 cases. This continued for five consecutive days till August 14, when it recorded 2,162 cases. The number of fresh cases dipped below the 1,000 mark on August 16, with Delhi recording only 917 cases, the lowest since August 1.
Covid positivity rate consistently increased from 11.64% on August 3 to 19.20% on August 16. This is the highest it had been in 200 days. This is significantly higher than July when the positivity rate was 5.30% on the first of the month and increased to 9.35% on July 31.
Delhi recorded a total of 30,968 cases so far in August.
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More people dying, being hospitalised
Another trend that is a cause for serious concern is that the number of deaths due to Covid-19 has also been rising.
The Delhi government's August 16 bulletin showed that a total of 563 patients were admitted in the hospital on that day. The number of hospitalisations went above the 500 mark on August 9, with the government bulletin saying 507 people were admitted to the hospital. While Covid numbers had begun increasing in June, the hospitalisation rates had remained low.
Delhi also reported 10 deaths on Friday, August 12, the highest in six months since February 13 when 12 people had died in the city because of Covid. A total of 81 people died in Delhi because of Covid between August 1 and 16, compared to 50 Covid deaths in all of July.
