New Delhi: The Capital on Monday night reported a record 240 Covid-19 deaths in the city, the highest ever daily count since the outbreak, essentially meaning that now, at least 10 patients were dying from the Coronavirus every hour in the Capital city, which continues its struggle for hospital beds, oxygen supply and Covid drugs. The death toll in the city is now at 12,361.
However, the city reported relatively fewer new cases at 23,686 on Monday, while the daily positivity rate came down to 26.12 per cent from nearly 30 per cent the day before.
And as Health Minister Satyendar Jain and Dy CM Sisodia went about visiting hospitals to increase beds, the DRDO restarted their facility with 250 critical ICU beds, all of which were quick to fill up.
However, the Delhi government's large care centre at the Yamuna Sports Complex at the CWG village also became operational on Monday with over 400 beds.
While directing officials to increase beds at DDU Hospital to 1,000, Sisodia said, "These are no ordinary times. We are in a battle against the Covid pandemic. This is the time to save humanity from this crisis. We have to fight this battle together and we have to ensure that all our resources are utilized to their best potential."
Meanwhile, experts have predicted that the current wave in Delhi will peak by the end of the week but not before the positivity crossed 50 per cent. Dr Jugal Kishore, the head of community medicine at Safdarjung Hospital, said, "The virus spreads from person to person in close proximity. Over the last few months, people have been meeting each other at a greater pace without following Covid-appropriate behaviour. The results are before us."