"We Have Increased Covid Testing By Three Times": Delhi Health Minister

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain has said the Aam Aadmi Party government in the national capital has increased testing by three times to 60,000 tests a day, adding that this was the new strategy to combat the surge in coronavirus cases.

"Delhi has increased testing to 60,000 per day. This is a big change in our containment strategy. We have done this to ensure we can track every positive case and contain the spread of coronavirus; Delhi's doubling rate is 50 days," said Satyendar Jain, who recently recovered from COVID-19.

The statement comes a day after Delhi reported 46 coronavirus-lined deaths - the highest since June 16 when the city recorded 93 deaths - in the backdrop of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's statement that the national capital has witnessed the second wave of COVID-19 and has now turned the corner.

"Covid deaths should not be seen as single day figures, but as 10-day average because people usually don't die (of this disease) in a day," Mr Jain said, adding that Delhi's 10-day average is 0.94 per cent. Its death rate is 1.94 per cent.

Delhi recorded 3,372 new cases and 4,476 recoveries on Saturday as occupancy of Covid-only beds in hospitals has reduced. According to the state Health Minister, 6,840 Covid patients are admitted in hospitals right now. "This number was more than 7,100 a week ago," Mr Jain said, adding that Delhi's positivity rate is 6.5 per cent as per the seven-day average.

The city has been reporting less than 4,000 cases a day for the past week after a week of reporting more than 4,000 cases a day between September 15 and 19.

The sudden daily spike in cases crossing 4,000, which took place earlier this month, was the second wave of the disease, Mr Kejriwal indicated.