Daily tests dip further as new cases drop, positivity at 27.9%

New Delhi: Even as the Capital on Monday reported 12,527 new Covid-19 cases, the daily positivity rate rose marginally to 27.99 per cent with the number of daily tests dropping down to below 45,000 — the lowest since November last year as Health Minister Satyendar Jain claimed that their data showed that weekend curfew and other curbs were working.

The city added 24 more deaths from the virus to its toll on Monday.

While the significant drop in testing does coincide with the weekend curfew, daily tests in the city have been dropping ever since the Centre's new testing guidelines came into force. Despite this, Jain has said that Delhi is conducting three times the number of tests recommended by the ICMR.

Monday's daily case count was 31 per cent lower than the corresponding figure of over 18,000 on Sunday, with 65,621 tests being conducted on Saturday. Delhi had reported 18,286 fresh Covid cases and 28 deaths on Sunday, while the positivity rate had dropped to 27.87 per cent from 30.64 per cent the previous day.

In a statement issued by Jain's office, he was quoted as saying that the number of coronavirus cases had "decreased in Delhi over the last four days and the weekend curfew is proving to be beneficial" as fewer and fewer people are venturing outside, limiting the spread of the virus.

The number of cases is decreasing but the government is keeping an eye on the trend, the minister said even as the positivity rate remained relatively high close to 28 per cent.

Jain added that no prescription is required to get tested for Covid if someone shows the symptoms of the viral disease. On Saturday, Delhi had reported 20,718 Covid cases and 30 deaths due to the infection. The city saw 24,383 cases and 34 fatalities on Friday. On Thursday, the national capital had reported 28,867 Covid cases, the sharpest single-day spike here since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Delhi's previous biggest daily jump of 28,395 coronavirus cases was recorded on April 20 last year. According to Monday's health bulletin, of the 44,762 tests conducted a day ago, 39,767 were RT-PCR tests and 4,995 were rapid-antigen tests.

According to the Centre's new guidelines issued recently, the asymptomatic patients do not need to undergo a test. Also, the contacts of the laboratory-confirmed Covid patients do not require a test unless they have comorbidities or are aged above 60. Private laboratories are also ensuring that only those who fulfil the criteria are tested.

According to the latest health bulletin, of the 15,505 dedicated Covid beds in Delhi, 2,784 are occupied, while 12,721 are vacant. The number of hospitalised Covid patients has remained above 2,000 for several days now. A total of 909 coronavirus patients are on oxygen support, out of whom 140 severe Covid patients are on ventilator.

The number of people under home isolation stood at 68,275 while it was 68,411 a day before and the number of containment zones in the city stood at 34,958, a significant jump from 32,983 on Sunday, the bulletin said.

The number of active Covid cases in Delhi reduced to 83,982 on Monday from 89,819 on Sunday.