Delhi records 22 Covid-19 cases, zero death; positivity rate 0.05%

Delhi recorded zero death due COVID-19 and 22 new cases on Thursday with a positivity rate of 0.05 per cent, according to data shared by the health department here.

Three Covid-related-fatalities have been recorded so far this month in Delhi, on October 18, 2 and 10, according to official data.

Only five fatalities due to COVID-19 were reported last month, one each on September 7, 16 and 17, and two on September 28, the date stated.

The cumulative COVID-19 cases now stand at 14,39,488 and the death toll remains at 25,090. Twenty one patients were discharged in the last 24 hours, the latest bulletin said, adding that over 14.14 lakh patients have recovered from the infection.

The lower number of cases could also due to the lesser number of tests conducted a day before.

A total of 42,563 tests -- 35,063 RT-PCR and 7,500 rapid antigen -- were conducted a day ago, the bulletin said.

The national capital reported 25 new Covid cases and zero fatality on Wednesday, while the positivity rate dipped to 0.04 per cent.

On Tuesday, Delhi recorded one death due to COVID-19 and 36 fresh cases with a positivity rate of 0.06 per cent.

On Monday, 15 new cases were recorded with a positivity rate of 0.03 per cent.

This was the lowest daily case count since March 28 last year, according to official data.

Delhi had reported nine cases on March 28 last year. The daily case count had dropped to 17 on September 13, with no death being recorded on that day, while the positivity rate was 0.04 per cent, according to official figures.

Despite a fall in daily cases in the last several days, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had recently cautioned that the chances of the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic were quite real, while asserting that his government was preparing on a "war-footing" to combat it.

Delhi was hit by a brutal second wave of the pandemic in April-May, which claimed a massive number of lives daily, and the oxygen supply shortage issue at various hospitals had added to the woes.

Since April 19, both daily cases and single-day deaths count had been spiralling up, with over 28,000 cases and 277 deaths recorded on April 20; rising to 306 fatalities on April 22. On May 3, the city registered a record 448 deaths, according to official data.

However, the number of cases have shown a downward trend and the positivity rate too has been shrinking in the last several weeks.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain recently had said that medical infrastructure was being ramped up and 37,000 beds dedicated for COVID-19 patients were being set up to tackle the anticipated third wave of the pandemic in the national capital.

The number of active cases increased to 311 on Thursday from 310 a day before, according to the bulletin.

The number of people under home isolation stood at 99 on Thursday while it was 96 a day before, and the number of containment zones decreased to 96 from 97 on Wednesday, the bulletin said.

As many as 62,980 beneficiaries were vaccinated on Wednesday, including 41,348, who were given the second dose. Over 1.98 crore people have received at least one dose of the vaccine in the national capital.