Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Friday said that the positivity rate in the national Capital was less than 1%, after the city recorded a surge in coronavirus infection, reported PTI. Jain said the figure was “much lower” than Kerala and Maharashtra – the two states that account for 71.69% of India’s total active cases.
Delhi on Friday recorded 431 new Covid-19 cases – the highest single-day rise in nearly two months. The positivity rate increased to 0.60%, according to data by the Delhi health department. The tally was 6,42, 870. The number of Covid-19 active cases in Delhi increased to 2,093 from 2,020.
The city recorded over 400 cases for the second consecutive day on Friday. Delhi had recorded 409 new coronavirus cases on Thursday.
Talking to reporters, Jain said the figures of over 400 per day suddenly were “not alarming”. “The positivity rate in Delhi in November was about 15%,” the health minister said. “It came down to less than 5% first and then to less that 1%, and for the last two months, it is still below 1%, which is much lower than what is being recorded in cities in Maharashtra and Kerala.”
He said there was a stark difference in the positivity rate as is about “10%” in Maharashtra.
“We are fully prepared and on full vigil,” Jain said, adding that more than 70,000-80,000 tests were being conducted in the city per day.
A total of 72,031 tests, including 46,135 RT-PCR tests and 25,896 rapid antigen tests, were conducted in Delhi on Thursday, a health department bulletin said.
“We are quite alert, tests are being conducted on a large scale,” a statement issued by the Delhi government later quoted Jain as saying. “We are well within the cut-off mark, and are on the safer side, concerning the positivity rate. Delhi alone is conducting Covid-19 tests, five times that of what is being conducted in all of India.”
On Thursday, the Centre cautioned Delhi and its neighbouring areas. “Would like to caution Delhi-NCR [National Capital Range], Gurugram, part of Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad too to some extent,” NITI Aayog member VK Paul had said. “These areas are seeing a slight rise in the number of cases.” Experts and doctors have attributed the rise in the number of cases to people turning complacent and not following the coronavirus-related guidelines.
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