Delhi adds 368 cases, 3 deaths; active caseload stands at 2,321

New Delhi: Delhi on Monday recorded 368 new COVID-19 cases, while the positivity rate stood at 0.59 per cent, according to data shared by the health department.

On Sunday, the daily fresh cases tally had crossed the 400-mark for the fourth consecutive day.

Delhi on Saturday had recorded 419 COVID-19 cases while the positivity rate stood at 0.56 per cent. On Sunday, the city reported 407 cases and the positivity rate was 0.60 per cent.

On Friday, Delhi had recorded 431 cases, the highest in over two months, and the count on Thursday was 409.

The COVID-19 death climbed to 10,944 on Monday with three more fatalities being reported in the national capital, as per the bulletin.

A total of 585 cases were reported on January 1 and 424 on January 3. The daily count had dropped to 306 on January 11 and risen again to 386 on January 12, according to official figures.

The numbers had started to come down in February.

On February 26, the month's highest daily count of 256 cases was recorded.

Meanwhile, the new coronavirus cases recorded on Monday took the infection tally to 6,44,064, the bulletin said.

The number of active cases of the disease in the city rose to 2,321 from 2,262 on Sunday, while the positivity rate stood at 0.59 per cent.

Health experts and doctors have attributed this "sudden rise" to people turning complacent, not following COVID-19 appropriate behaviour and "assuming all is well now".

The total number of tests conducted on Sunday stood at 62,272, including 44,526 RT-PCR tests and 17,746 rapid antigen tests, the bulletin said.

The number of people under home isolation on Monday rose to 1,342 from 1,270 on Sunday, it said, adding that over 6.30 lakh people have recovered from the infection till date.

Meanwhile, Delhi University's vice-chancellor, Prof PC Joshi on Monday urged faculty members, non teaching staff and students to get vaccinated, after getting his dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Posting a video message post vaccination, Joshi said that he did not have a fever or any other side-effects adding that "Together India will defeat Covid 19."

North Delhi Mayor Jai Prakash said he received his first shot of the anti-COVID-19 vaccine on Monday and appealed to people to also get the jab to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

The mayor said well-known film and TV actor Dalip Tahil also accompanied him to the Hindu Rao Hospital and he also got vaccinated.

"I got my first jab of COVID vaccine today. Actor Dalip Tahil accompanied me to send out a message on behalf of the NDMC to eligible people to come out and get vaccinated. He got his jab and returned to Mumbai," he said.

Prakash said the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) has planned to collaborate with other public personalities to promote COVID-19 vaccination among the masses.

Over 39,000 beneficiaries received shots of the COVID-19 vaccine in the national capital on Saturday, including 20,275 senior citizens, as per official data. In the age bracket, 45-59 years, 3,685 beneficiaries received the jabs, a senior official said.

On Wednesday 30,940 people had received shots. The number had fallen to 29,441 on Thursday. On Friday, the count rose again to 30,575, as per the official data shared by the health department.