Delhi records highest new Covid cases since pandemic began

New Delhi, Oct 28 : Delhi reported an unprecedented rise in the number of daily infections on Wednesday. According to a health department bulletin, the national capital recorded 5,673 fresh Covid-19 cases, the highest single-day spike till date, taking the total case-load to more than 3.7 lakh with 40 new fatalities pushing the death count in the national capital to 6,396. This is the highest single-day figure that Delhi has reported since the pandemic struck the country. The national capital, which is battling the third wave of infections, has been logging more than 4,000 cases daily for the last six days. With the onset of the festive season, the unprecedented spike has raised concerns, especially when the national Covid tally has shown a steady decline. The Covid-19 figures in the national capital have been increasing rapidly. On Tuesday, Delhi reported 4,853 new infections and 44 deaths, which was also its highest daily spike. The number of fresh cases recorded on Monday stood at 2,832, and 4,136 on Sunday, while the figures were 4,116 on Saturday and 4,086 on Friday. The cases on Wednesday came out of the 60,571 tests conducted the previous day. The tally of active cases today rose to 29,378 from 27,873 the previous day. The Health Ministry had expressed concern over the spike in Delhi's cases and is expected to hold a meeting with top officials of the UT government on Thursday to chalk out a strategy for prevention of the Covid spread, the officials said on Tuesday. The unwanted record spike coincides with an extended festive season and the onset of winter. Medical experts have suggested that the Covid-19 virus could become even more potent and fatal as the temperature drops. The increase in Covid cases has also been linked to the worsening pollution in the national capital, which is preparing for its annual bout with "severe" and "hazardous" air quality levels. Meanwhile, the daily national Covid tally of India is on a constant decline for over a week, which had been reporting close to one lakh cases daily till last month. Experts say the country has passed its peak but a surge is looming over in view of festivities and laxity observed by the public. (IANS)