Capital logs highest single-day spike of 141 deaths, 19,486 cases

New Delhi: Delhi on Friday recorded the biggest single-day jump of 19,486 fresh COVID-19 cases and 141 deaths due to the disease, according to data shared by the health department. This is the fifth record daily rise in cases in the national Capital in the last six days. The positivity rate fell marginally to 19.69 per cent from Thursday's 20.22 per cent, the highest so far.

With the fresh cases, the national Capital's cumulative tally has risen to 8,03,623. The death toll stands at 11,793, according to the latest bulletin.

A total of 98,957 tests, including 64,939 RT-PCR tests and 34,018 rapid antigen tests, were conducted the previous day, the bulletin said. So far, over 7.3 lakh patients have recovered in Delhi. The number of active cases in the city increased to 61,005 from 54,309 the day before, the bulletin stated.

The number of people under home isolation increased to 29,705 from 26,974 on Thursday, while that of containment zones mounted to 9,929 from 8,661 the day before, it said.

The Delhi government has issued an order for linking of public and private sector diagnostic labs to ensure timely processing of samples for COVID-19 test.

After being appointed as the nodal Minister for Covid management, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia on Friday said that the administrators of each district have been asked to prepare facilities like the one created at the Commonwealth Games Village in East Delhi last year.

"One such facility will come up in each district. These should start functioning by Monday or Tuesday. Stadia, halls or big grounds will be identified by the local administration and these will be pressed into service soon. Oxygen administration will also be available," Sisodia told reporters. The government wants to create over 10,000 beds in these facilities and to begin the process immediately, district officials have been asked to identify places that can be converted quickly and efficiently, according to government officials.