Over 800 COVID Cases in Delhi First Time This Year; Positivity Rate Breaches 1% Mark

New Delhi: Delhi reported over 800 COVID-19 cases for the first time this year on Saturday as the positivity rate breached the 1% mark after over two months, while two more fatalities pushed the death toll to 10,955, as per data shared by the health department.

The number of active cases rose to 3,409 from 3,165 a day ago, according to the latest health bulletin.

The new 813 cases pushed the infection tally to 6,47,161, of whom over 6.32 lakh people have recovered till date.

On Friday, the city had recorded 716 cases while the count on Thursday was 607 and 536 on Wednesday.

The two new fatalities took the toll to 10,955, while the positivity rate rose to 1.07 per cent from 0.93 per cent on Friday, the bulletin said.

Delhi had recorded 425 cases on Tuesday. The cases have been steadily rising over the last few days. The positivity rate had been hovering below the 1 per cent-mark for over two months.

A total of 77,888 tests, including 46,292 RT-PCR and 29,596 rapid antigen, were conducted on Friday, while the number of people under home isolation on Saturday rose to 1,722 from 1,624 a day ago, the bulletin said.

Health experts and doctors have attributed this “sudden rise” in COVID-19 cases to people turning complacent, not following COVID-19 appropriate behaviour and “assuming all is well now”.

A total of 585 cases were reported on January 1 and 424 on January 3. The daily count had dropped to 306 on January 11 and risen again to 386 on January 12, according to official figures.

The numbers had started to come down in February. On February 26, the month's highest daily count of 256 cases was recorded.

Asserting that the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in the national capital was not a cause for worry, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said on Thursday the city government had directed officials for stricter tracking, tracing and isolation of cases.

Kerala Records 2,078 Fresh COVID-19 Cases, 15 deaths

Kerala logged 2,078 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday and 15 deaths, taking the infection count to 11,02,702 and the toll to 4,482.

A total of 2,211 people recuperated from the disease on Saturday, taking the total cured in the state to 10,72,554.

Currently, there are 25,009 people under treatment.

 State Health Minister K K Shailaja said the state tested 58,777 samples in the last 24 hours and the test positivity rate was 3.54%. Till now the state has tested 1,26,17,046 samples.

AP Logs 380 New COVID-19 Cases, 2 Deaths

Andhra Pradesh reported 380 fresh cases of coronavirus on Saturday, the highest since December 22, pushing the caseload to 8,93,366.

 The number of active cases again touched 2,083, the highest since January 16 when it fell below the 2,000 mark.

The new cases came from 30,978 tests in the 24 hours ending 9 am on Saturday, while the 402 cases on December 22 came from 56,425 tests, indicating a higher infection rate now.

 The latest bulletin in Amravati said a total of 1.47 crore sample tests were carried out in the state so far, at the rate of 2.75 lakh per million, with an overall positivity rate of 6.08%.

 In the 24 hours, the state saw 204 recoveries and two deaths, taking the cumulative to 8,84,094 and 7,189 respectively.

 The virus seems to be spreading fast in Guntur, Kurnool, Visakhapatnam districts, while in Chittoor and Krishna it has been maintaining steady pace.

 Guntur reported the highest 70, Chittoor 60, Kurnool 51, Krishna 44, Visakhapatnam 43, East Godavari 26, Anantapuramu 22, SPS Nellore 21 fresh cases in a day.

Maharashtra Board Exams in Offline Mode

The written examinations of HSC (Class 12) and SSC (Class 10) of the Maharashtra education board will be held through offline mode only from the next month, state minister Varsha Gaikwad announced on Saturday.

This means that students will have to physically go to the exam centres to appear for it, the School Education Minister said.

"The schools of the students will be their exam centres. Apart from the regular three-hour period of the exam, they will get extra half an hour to attempt the questions," she said.

The examination dates have already been announced and practical exams will be held once the written tests are over, Gaikwad added.