Delhi records 16,699 new cases, 112 deaths; positivity rate over 20 per cent

New Delhi: Delhi recorded 16,699 fresh COVID-19 cases with a sharp rise in the positivity rate to over 20 per cent, and 112 fatalities on Thursday, according to data shared by the health department here.

While the number of positive cases was lower than on Wednesday, it was because of fewer tests conducted.

The 16,699 new cases came out of 82,569 tests done on Wednesday, relatively less than the over 1.08 lakh examinations done on the previous day.

As per the latest bulletin, the positivity rate stands at 20.22 per cent, the highest till date in Delhi, while the death toll recorded so far is 11,652.

The national capital registered 17,282 new infections on Wednesday, its highest single-day spike till date. The number of cases has been on an upward spiral in the last few days.

The highest single-day spike in Delhi till the third wave of the pandemic -- 8,593 cases -- was reported on November 11 in 2020, while on November 18, the city had recorded 131 COVID-19 deaths, the highest single-day fatality count so far.

The positivity rate mid-November last year had stood above 15 per cent.

Battling the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic, Delhi has left financial capital Mumbai far behind in the daily tally of cases, becoming the worst-affected city in the country. On Wednesday, the positivity rate was 15.92 per cent.

A total of 82,569 tests 59,401 RT-PCR and 23,168 rapid antigen tests were conducted in the city on Tuesday, the latest health bulletin showed.

The number of cumulative cases on Thursday stood at 7,84,137. Over 7.18 lakh patients have recovered from the virus.

The number of active cases has increased to 54,309 from 50,736 a day before, as per the bulletin.

The number of people under home isolation increased to 26,974 from 24,155 on Wednesday while the number of containment zones mounted to 8,661 from 7,598 a day before, the bulletin said.