Covid-19 fourth wave: Delhi reports 1,354 fresh cases, positivity rate at 7.64 %

Pic for representational use only

ew Delhi: Delhi reported 1,354 COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 7.64 per cent and one fatality due to the disease on Wednesday, according to data shared by the city health department.

A total of 17,732 Covid tests were conducted in the city on Tuesday, it showed.

Delhi reports 1,354 fresh Covid19 infections today; Active cases at 5,853 pic.twitter.com/G1ndRi39UG

— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2022

On Tuesday, the national capital had reported 1,414 COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 5.97 per cent and one death due to the disease. Delhi had on Monday reported 1,076 Covid cases with a positivity rate of 6.42 per cent. On Sunday, it saw 1,485 cases of the disease as the positivity rate stood at 4.89 per cent.

With the new cases reported on Wednesday, the national capital's overall COVID-19 infection tally rose to 18,88,404, while the death toll climbed to 26,177. There are 5,853 active cases of the disease in the city now, down from 5,986 the previous day. The number of containment zones has risen to 1,343, the data showed.

The hospitalisation rate has so far been low, accounting for less than three per cent of the total number of active cases, the bulletin stated.

Currently, 180 COVID-19 patients are admitted in Delhi hospitals, while 4,319 are recuperating in home isolation, it said. Of the 9,590 beds available for COVID-19 patients in various hospitals, only 186 (1.94 per cent) are occupied, the data showed.

The spurt in COVID-19 cases and the test positivity rate in Delhi over the last few weeks do not suggest the onset of a new wave, but people should keep basic mitigation measures in place to prevent the spread of the infection, experts said on Tuesday.

Eminent epidemiologist Dr Chandrakant Lahariya said the test positivity rate is stagnant, which means the infection is spreading at the same rate and that there is no wave. There is a subtle change in the hospitalisation rate which also proves that there is no wave, Lahariya said.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain had last week said COVID-19 cases have increased in the capital but the situation was not serious as people were not developing severe disease and the hospitalisation rate was low.

He had attributed the low hospitalisation rate to vaccinations and naturally acquired immunity.