New Delhi: As Covid cases continued to dip in the city following the third wave's peak last month, the daily positivity rate of new cases on Monday dipped to less than 1 per cent — for the first time since the last wave started — even as the authorities reported 360 cases in a day and four more fatalities.
Out of these 360 cases, 86 pertain to earlier weeks that were added on the ICMR portal on Sunday, the department said — meaning that the city actually reported less than 300 cases in a day.
The number of tests conducted a day ago stood at 38,136, while 706 patients were discharged in a span of 24 hours, the bulletin said. The national capital's case tally now stands at 18,56,5117, and the death toll is at 26,105, it stated.
And as Covid cases continued dipping, an association of traders at Connaught Place has now written to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, requesting him to allow shops to remain open till 10 pm. Currently, the Capital still has to follow a night curfew — which kicks in at 10 pm and lasts till 5 am the next morning.
This is the second letter to Baijal written by the New Delhi Traders Association (NDTA). It cited huge financial losses as a cause of concern for traders.
"We request you to extend the closing timings of shops in Delhi to 10 pm on the same line as that of restaurants. In UP and Haryana, night curfew and all restrictions have been removed but in Delhi timings for closing shops is same at 8 pm, which is causing huge financial losses to shop owners," NDTA wrote to the LG.
"Since Covid positivity rate in Delhi has reduced drastically and is continuously reducing every day, we once again request you to extend closing timing of shops from 8 pm to 10 pm on the same line as closing timing fixed for restaurants," it added.
Active cases in the city have now come down to 2,281 and are reducing by the day and while the Delhi Disaster Management Authority has allowed almost all activities to resume with restrictions, it is set to meet this week to discuss further relaxations.