Coronavirus: Delhi reports highest daily spike ever with over 8,000 cases
The Delhi high court on Wednesday pulled up the AAP government for relaxing safety norms for public gatherings.
FollowNew Delhi: The daily coronavirus spike in Delhi reached a new high over the last 24 hours on Wednesday, with the city crossing the 8,000-mark and logging 8,593 cases.
The total tally of the city now stands at 45,9975 and the positivity rate has jumped to 13.40%. In the last 24 hours, 64,121 tested have been conducted and 85 deaths have been reported. Over 24,000 people in Delhi are now under home isolation, the health bulletin said.
All India Institute of Medical Sciences director Dr Randeep Guleria on Wednesday said that “super-spreader” events during the festival season may have contributed to the rise in new coronavirus cases in Delhi, ANI reported.
The Delhi high court on Wednesday pulled up the AAP government for relaxing safety norms for public gatherings. A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramanium Prasad also noted that the wearing of masks has not been made mandatory in Delhi. The court also asked the government why it has increased the number of people allowed in weddings, public transport etc.
Observing that a city is now witnessing a bigger daily spike than states like Maharashtra and Kerala, the court asked if the government has any concrete plan to control the situation.
The court said while other states are imposing restrictions, the Delhi government is relaxing all norms, like allowing 200 people to attend public functions instead of reducing the number and permitting public transport to be fully occupied.
The court said these measures could turn into "super spreaders" of the infection.
The onset of winter with pollution combined is being blamed for what has now officially been called the third wave of Covid-19. The first wave was in June and the second was in September. But the third wave is the worst, Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain has said. “The third wave of COVID-19 is at its peak in Delhi. The number of cases suggests it is the worst wave so far. But the cases will come down soon,” Jain said earlier.
