Delhi Reports 15 Covid-19 Deaths, Lowest in a Month; CM Kejriwal Asks All to Maintain Declining Trend

The national capital on Sunday reported 15 new COVID-19 deaths, the lowest in a month, and 961 fresh cases, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asking all personnel concerned to keep up with the hard work to ensure that the downward trend continues.

According to authorities, the COVID-19 recovery rate in Delhi has increased to over 89 per cent, while the case positivity rate in the last 24 hours was 7.54 per cent.

So far, the city has reported 1,37,677 case of coronavirus infection, out of which 1,23,317 have recovered. The number of active cases stood at 10,356 among whom 5,663 are under home isolation.

The city’s death toll due to the viral infection was 4,004.

In the last 24 hours, 961 instances of the infection were reported and 1,186 patients have recovered.

“Deaths in Delhi come down to 15. Less than 1000 cases. Let’s all keep working hard to ensure that the downward trend continues (sic),” Kejriwal said in a tweet.

On July 26, the national capital had recorded 21 fatalities due to the deadly virus, the previous lowest death count in the national capital since July 1.

On July 27, the city recorded 26 deaths, 28 fatalities on July 28, 25 on July 29, 25 on July 30 and 27 on July 31. Twenty-six people succumbed to the disease on August 1.

Meanwhile, the serological survey for a comprehensive assessment of the COVID-19 situation continued in the national capital on Sunday for the second consecutive day. Those who were part of the previous survey have been excluded this time.

Twenty-five per cent of the fresh samples in all districts will be taken from people aged 50 years and above, according to a standard operating procedure prescribed for the study. Each team is to collect 25 to 40 samples daily.

A total of 4,289 RT-PCR and 8,441 rapid-antigen tests were conducted in the city in the last 24 hours, the authorities said. The number of tests conducted on Saturday was comparatively fewer because of Eid al-Adha.

On July 27, a total of 11,506 tests (7,685-PCR, CBNAAT and True NAAT tests figures; 3,821 rapid antigen), were conducted. It was the second-lowest number of tests in July. It is to be noted that it was on July 27 that Delhi had recorded 613 coronavirus cases – the lowest since May 27.

The very next day, July 28, the number of daily cases increased to 1,056. On July 29 it was 1,035 and then 1,093 and 1,195 on July 30 and 31 respectively.

However, testing figures have risen in the national capital since June 15 while the rapid antigen tests were started from June 18.

So far, 10,63,669 tests have been conducted – 55,982 tests for every 10 lakh population, according to the authorities. Over the last week, the number of new cases has grown by less than one per cent every day.

However, even with these improving figures, hotels and guest houses in Delhi have not been allowed to open under the Centre’s ‘Unlock-3.0’ guidelines. Owners of budget hotels and guest houses have sought an appointment with Lt Governor Anil Baijal and Kejriwal to discuss their problems.

Delhi Hotel and Restaurant Owners Association said that owners of around 3,000 budget hotels and guest houses had to let go more than 75 per cent of their staff due to COVID-19 pandemic and are now staring at bankruptcy with unpaid bills running into lakhs.

So severe is the situation that the president of the association, Sandeep Khandelwal, claims he himself was being unable to pay his house rent.

The Arvind Kejriwal government last Thursday allowed hotels to resume “normal functioning”. The next day, the LG, however, overturned the AAP government’s proposal saying the situation continues to be “fragile” and the threat is still “far from over”.