Delhi's New Covid Cases Jump 38% In One Day, Highest In Over 6 Months

Delhi on Saturday reported 249 new coronavirus cases - a 38 per cent jump over the previous day and the highest in over six months amid growing concern over the highly infectious Omicron variant.

The city reported one death due to the infection taking the overall death count to 25,104.

Six deaths have been reported in December so far.

On Friday, 180 fresh cases were recorded with an increased positivity rate of 0.29 per cent, as per the official figures.

According to the data, this rise is the highest since June 13 when the national capital logged 255 cases with a positivity rate of 0.35 per cent

The number of cumulative cases on Saturday stood at 14,43,062. Over 14.17 lakh patients have recovered from the infection in Delhi.

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 has also has 67 Omicron cases.

With the rise in Omicron cases in the city, the Delhi government had banned all gatherings to celebrate Christmas and New Year. Cultural events were also prohibited.

Night curfew, closure of schools and colleges, and shops of non-essential items, and halved seating capacity in metro trains is feared to return in Delhi as its Covid positivity rate inched towards 0.5 per cent, the trigger point of yellow alert under the Graded Response Action Plan.

Under the four-stage Graded response Action Plan (GRAP), the 'yellow' alert will kick in if the positivity rate settles at 0.5 per cent for two consecutive days, leading to a host of restrictions.

(With inputs from PTI)