Delhi touches new Covid high, at over 10K cases

New Delhi: The national capital on Sunday registered 10,732 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the single-day highest spike since the pandemic broke out early last year, while there were 48 more deaths, as per the Delhi health bulletin, according to an IANS report.

The previous highest single-day spike, 8,593 cases, was reported on November 11, 2020 during the third wave. Delhi had reported 7,897 new cases on Saturday, and 8,521 on Friday. However, the number of samples tested on Saturday was also less.

As per the bulletin, the daily positivity rate was reported at 9.43 per cent, while the number of recoveries stood at 5,158.

With the new cases, Delhi's Covid tally reached 7,25,197, including 6,79,573 patients who have recovered so far, while the cumulative positivity rate was reported at 4.66 per cent.

The number of active cases stands at 34,341, out of which 17,093 are in home isolation, while the toll has risen to 11,283.

In the last 24 hours, 1,14,288 samples were tested -- 76,954 by RT-PCR and 37,334 by Rapid Antigen Tests.

On Sunday, a total of 1,04,862 people were vaccinated in the city out of which 91,099 received their first dose, and 13,763 the second dose.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Chief Minister Arvid Kejriwal said that the fourth wave "is more critical" and appealed to the people to stay at home as much as possible.

The government is taking all possible steps to break the chain of coronavirus, but it cannot do this alone, he added.

"People of Delhi have fought against three waves of Covid-19 in the last one year, but this fourth one is more critical. I would request people to come out from their homes only if there is urgency, otherwise stay at home for a few days. It will help us to break its chain," he said.