Coronavirus / Delhi reports over 3,000 cases in 24 hours, highest in nearly 8 months

New Delhi: Delhi logged 3,194 new coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours, 15 per cent higher than Saturday. One person has died, taking the total number of fatalities since the beginning to pandemic to 25,109. The city logged 2,176 cases on New Year's day -- a 50 per cent spike. The positivity rate rose to 4.59 per cent, according to data from the city's health department.

Under the Graded Response Action Plan or GRAP -- approved in July by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority -- if the positivity rate is over five per cent for two consecutive days a 'Red' alert can be sounded. This would lead to "total curfew" and halting of most economic activities.

Today's figure is the highest daily surge since May 22. The city has also reported the second-highest cases of the highly transmissible Omicron strain after Maharashtra.

The infection rate is also the highest in 7.5 months. Positivity rate was 5.50% on May 20. The number of active coronavirus patients is now 8,397 -- the highest in about seven months.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said earlier today that though the number of cases is rising rapidly, there is "no need to panic". Data indicates that the impact of the virus in this phase is far lesser than what it was during the second wave, he said.

"Only 246 hospital beds were occupied yesterday and all the cases are mild and asymptomatic," Mr Kejriwal said. The number of oxygen beds occupied is 82.

"The Delhi government is prepared with 37,000 beds. I just want to tell you that all new cases are with mild symptoms, asymptomatic, so there is no need to panic," the Chief Minister said.

So far, there are 1,621 containment zones in the city.