India / Delhi bans hookahs in bars, hotels, other public places to curb COVID-19 spread

New Delhi: The national capital on Monday (Augst 3) registered 805 more novel coronavirus cases, taking the tally to over 1.38 lakh on Monday, while the toll rose to 4,021 with 17 more deaths, according to the health department bulletin.

The three-figure count for the new COVID-19 cases was recorded on a day when the number of tests conducted was 10,133, said the bulletin.

On July 20, too, a low number of 11,417 tests were conducted. The number of tests done per million rose to 56,515 and 10,73,802 tests have been conducted so far, it said.

As many as 1,24,254 patients have recovered and there are 10,207 active cases, down from 10,356 the previous day. The tally climbed to 1,38,482 with 805 more infections. 

Further, the positivity rate stood at 7.9 per cent on Monday, while the recovery rate was over 89 per cent, said the bulletin, adding that 17 more fatalities have been recorded in the past 24 hours, taking the toll to 4,021.

Amid rising cases of coronavirus, the Delhi government decided to ban the use of hookahs, with or without tobacco, in all public places, including hotels, restaurants and bars, with immediate effect to control the spread of COVID-19.

The health department order said that smokers are likely to be more vulnerable to COVID-19 as smoking means the fingers are in contact with the lips which increases the possibility of transmission of the virus.

Smoking products such as water pipes often involve the sharing of mouthpieces and hoses, which could facilitate the transmission of COVID-19 in communal and social settings, it said.

On Sunday, the daily cases count had dipped to 961 and there were 15 deaths from the pathogen, the lowest number of COVID-19 fatalities reported in a day since the death figures were revised by authorities in June.

Out of the total number of beds in COVID hospitals, 10,605 are vacant and 3,579 beds in COVID care centres are occupied. The number of containment zones stood at 496, the bulletin said.

Delhi had repcorded the highest single-day spike of 3,947 cases on June 23.