New Delhi: The number of active COVID-19 cases in Delhi increased by around 50 per cent in a month, with the city witnessing a marked uptick in new cases, according to government data.
There were 10,596 active COVID-19 cases on August 1. The number increased to 15,870 on Tuesday, an analysis of the Delhi government’s health bulletins showed.
The number of active COVID-19 cases peaked to 28,329 on June 27. It tapered off to 10,705 active cases by July 31.
On August 4, it dropped below the 10,000-mark for the first time since May 30 and stood at 9,897, owing to a good recovery rate and less new cases.
But just when it seemed the number might drop further, it started rising again with an increase in new cases.
The city reported 12,520 active cases on August 26. The number rose to 13,208 the next day.
From 14,040 active COVID-19 cases on August 29, the number increased to 15,870 on September 1.
The national capital on Tuesday recorded 2,312 fresh COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day spike in around two months. On Monday, the daily cases count was 1,358.
The city reported 1,808 new cases on Friday, 1,954 on Saturday, 2,024 on Sunday and 1,358 on Monday.
Experts attribute the increase in new cases to increased public movement after easing of lockdown restrictions, non-residents coming to Delhi for treatment and return of migrants from other states.
Delhi has been witnessing a slight increase in the number of new cases because of various factors. People (migrants) are returning. Then there are people from other states who have come to the city for treatment, Dr Desh Deepak, the nodal officer for COVID-19 at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, said.
The government is gradually allowing businesses to reopen, other activities to resume under unlock period, he said.
Dr B L Sherwal, the managing director of Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital, said the number of new cases is bound to increase with the easing of restrictions.
Government data shows that of the 8,577 COVID-19 patients admitted to city hospitals in August, 2,536 belonged to other states (around 30 per cent) — mostly from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
The rise in the number of new cases has also led to a 35 per cent increase in the demand for beds in hospitals in the city.
The occupancy of beds reserved for COVID-19 patients was 18 per cent on July 30, with only 2,958 out of 16,038 beds being occupied.
It increased to 28 per cent on Saturday, with 4,004 out of 14,135 beds occupied, according to data shared by the hospitals on Delhi Corona app.