Highest daily deaths of 131 added as CM calls for all-party meet today

New Delhi: After reporting relatively lower new cases and deaths, Delhi on Wednesday reported 131 deaths from the novel Coronavirus - the highest daily deaths to be added to the toll from the contagious disease here, which climbed to 7,943.

The city reported 7,486 new cases from over 62,000 tests conducted in the last 24 hours, of which over 19,000 were RT-PCR tests. Delhi is now planning to ramp up testing to reach 60,000 RT-PCR tests daily.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday announced that over 660 ICU beds will be added in various Delhi government hospitals in the next few days in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases.

Total cases in the city breached the 5 lakh-mark on Wednesday and total recoveries crossed 4.52 lakh. The 10-day death rate increased to 1.48 per cent as the daily positivity rate came down to 12.03 per cent.

Interacting with reporters after visiting GTB Hospital in east Delhi along with city Health Minister Satyendar Jain, the chief minister said, "We had a meeting with doctors at GTB Hospital and they have agreed to add 238 ICU beds in the next two

days."

"In all, 663 ICU beds shall be added in various Delhi hospitals in the next few days," he said.

Despite such a huge surge in COVID-19 cases, doctors have managed the situation well, Kejriwal said.

Moreover, the CM has also called for an all-party meeting today (Thursday) to discuss the COVID-19 situation in the national capital, officials said on Wednesday.

They said leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), BJP, Congress and other parties have been invited for the meeting. "The chief minister will hold an all-party meeting to discuss the COVID-19 situation in Delhi. The meeting will be held at 11 am on Thursday," an official said.