COVID-19: 4,482 new cases, 265 more deaths in Delhi, positivity rate drops to 6.89 pc

The national capital reported 4,482 cases, lowest since April 5, and 265 fatalities on Tuesday while the positivity rate dropped to 6.89 per cent, according to the latest health bulletin released by the city government.

This is the second day on the trot that the number of cases has remained below 5,000.

The COVID-19 situation has been improving in Delhi with the number of cases and positivity rate going down steadily over the past few days. Medical experts have attributed the lockdown as the main factor behind the dip amid the second wave of the pandemic.

However, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Sunday extended the lockdown till May 24, saying the gains made so far in combating the coronavirus cannot be lost now.

At 6.89 percent, the positivity rate is the lowest since April 7 when it stood at 6.1 percent. The number of new infections is the lowest since April 5 when 3,548 people were diagnosed with the disease, according to government data. However, the lesser number of fresh cases on Monday came from a relatively smaller number of tests -- 65,004 -- conducted on Monday.

Delhi had reported 4,524 cases on Monday, 6,456 on Sunday, 6,430 the day before.

The positivity rate was 8.42 percent on Monday, 10.40 percent on Sunday, 11.32 percent on Saturday. It was 21.67 per cent on Sunday last week.

On April 22, a positivity rate of 36.2 per cent, the highest so far, was recorded.

The national capital had 340 deaths on Monday, 262 on Sunday, 337 on Saturday, 289 on Friday. It had recorded and 273 deaths on Sunday last week.

The highest number of 448 deaths was reported on May 3.

The health bulletin released Tuesday said as many as 9,403 people recovered from the infection during the reported 24-hours period.

There are 50,863 active cases and 31,197 of them are in home isolation, it said. The number of cumulative cases stands at 14,02,873 and the death toll at 22,111.

Over 13.29 lakh people have either recovered, migrated out or have been discharged, according to the health bulletin.

Of the 24,305 hospital beds for coronavirus patients in the city, 9,906 are vacant, it said.