Delhi reports 308 deaths, 10,489 new COVID cases in 24 hours; positivity rate dips to 14.24 per cent

NEW DELHI: The national capital on Thursday recorded 10,489 new cases of COVID-19 infections and 308 deaths in the past 24 hours. According to the bulletin issued by the health department, nearly 15,189 patients recovered from the COVID-19 infection during this period.

With this, Delhi saw a positivity rate of 14.24 per cent, the lowest in a month, the Health Department said. The number of new cases is the lowest since April 10 when 7,897 people were diagnosed with the disease. 

The positivity rate is the lowest since April 13, when it stood at 13.1 per cent, according to government data. Delhi had reported 300 deaths and 13,287 cases on Wednesday with a positivity rate of 17 per cent.

On April 22, a positivity rate of 36.2 per cent, the highest so far, was recorded.  The highest number of 448 deaths was reported on May 3.

Meanwhile, the Arvind Kejriwal government on Thursday wrote a letter to the Centre to inform that Delhi`s daily oxygen requirement has fallen from 700 MT to 582 MT per day and hence, the additional oxygen quota of the national capital should be supplied to other states needing oxygen.

For the last few days, the Center has fixed Delhi`s daily quota of oxygen to 590 MT. As Delhi has witnessed a sharp decline in daily Covid positive cases in its hospitals in the last few days, the capital`s daily demand for oxygen has also reduced.

"During the peak period, we were getting regular SOS calls from the hospitals. Now, we receive hardly one or two SOS calls daily which are fulfilled without any delay.

"Delhi government is a responsible government and hence it is requesting the Central government to reduce the daily oxygen allocation of Delhi to 582 MT. This way the other states in the need of oxygen can get the surplus oxygen from Delhi," said Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

Sisodia, who is also Delhi`s nodal minister for Covid management, stated that the Covid cases were at their peak in the last week of April and the first week of May. On a daily basis, more than 80,000 tests were being done out of which around 28,000 (highest on April 20) were testing positive.

Sisodia expressed his gratitude to the Supreme Court, Delhi High Court and Central Government for their timely intervention and providing much-needed oxygen supply to Delhi.