Delhi on Saturday reported 249 new coronavirus cases — a 38 percent jump over the previous day and the highest in over six months amid growing concern over the highly infectious Omicron variant, according to an NDTV report.
India reported 6,987 fresh COVID-19 cases and 162 deaths in the last 24 hours, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday. The country’s active caseload currently stands at 76,766, the lowest since March 2020. According to the Ministry, 422 cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus have been reported in the country so far. Out of this, Maharashtra topped the list with 108 confirmed cases followed by Delhi (79 cases) and Gujarat (43 cases).
On Friday, 180 fresh cases were recorded with an increased positivity rate of 0.29 percent, as per the official figures. According to the data, this rise is the highest since 13 June when the national capital logged 255 cases with a positivity rate of 0.35 percent. The COVID-19 test positivity rate in Delhi touched 0.43 percent on Saturday.
Amid rising Omicron cases, images emerges of huge crowds in Delhi market flouting COVID restrictions. Times of India reported, people were seen gathering in huge numbers in Delhi’s Sarojini Nagar locality. This comes when there are rising concerns across the country due to a spike in coronavirus cases and its Omicron variant. People were seen blatantly flouting all social distancing and other COVID protocols.
Meanwhile, according to a Hindustan Times report, Delhi administration is on the brink of implementing their colour coded action plan. According to the action plan there are four different levels of economic restrictions that will come into force at different levels based on the positivity rate.
The first level of curbs, classified as a ‘Yellow Alert’, will be imposed when the positivity rate breaches 0.5 percent and stays above it for two consecutive days. The highest level is a ‘Red Alert’, which will come into play when the positivity rate breaches 5 percent and stays so for two consecutive days.
In the event of a yellow alert, all educational institutions will be closed, and markets will be allowed to open only at specified times, and may only operate on an odd-even basis. The number of passengers allowed in the Metro will be limited to 50 percent of seating capacity, and only two will be allowed in taxis and autorickshaws. A night curfew will also come into effect.
The measures will be implemented as soon as the Delhi Disaster Management Authority’s (DDMA) order is out.
NDTV’s report said, Delhi has witnessed a sharp rise in COVID cases in last few days amid a jump in cases of the new Omicron variant. The city also has 67 Omicron cases.
According to the Union health ministry, the weekly positivity rate is at 0.62 percent remains less than 1 percent for the last 42 days now. The daily positivity rate reported being 0.74 percent. The daily positivity rate has remained below 2 percent for the last 83 days.
As per a report by ANI, with the administration of 32,90,766 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 141.37 crore.
With inputs from agencies
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