Delhi Coronavirus Cases Cross 9,000-Mark, 129 Deaths So Far

Delhi has crossed the 9,000-mark in the number of coronavirus cases as the city-state recorded 438 new COVID-19 patients and six deaths linked to the illness in the last 24 hours, taking the total 9,333 cases and 129 deaths. The national capital has the fourth-highest COVID-19 count in India after Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.

About 3,926 patients have recovered so far in Delhi and 408 of these patients recovered in the last 24 hours, according to Delhi government's daily bulletin. The city-state had more than 90 containment zones at the beginning of this month; the figure has now reduced to 76. More than 1,30,845 people have been tested so far for COVID-19.

The national capital has recorded a jump of 2,000 cases this week. According to the data shared by the state, it took exactly a month for the number of cases to surge from 1,000 (on April 11) to 7,000 (on May 11). The number of deaths jumped from 115 to 123 on Friday as the government took into account cases that were not reported before.

Offering suggestions on the resumption of economic activities in the city-state, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "We want there should not be any relaxation in containment zones. Outside containment zones, several economic activities should be started, but social distancing and masks should be mandatory," the letter read.

"All markets and market complexes shall remain open on odd-even basis viz. Shops would open on alternate days depending on their shop number. This implies that only 50 per cent shops (excluding those selling essential goods) shall be opened," he said in the letter, adding, "All shopping malls shall open with the condition that only 33 shops would open on a single day and no more."

On Thursday, Mr Kejriwal said that his government has received some five lakh suggestions from people in the national capital on how to safely exit in a graded manner from the lockdown necessitated by the highly infectious coronavirus.

Delhi has to "learn to live with coronavirus," the Chief Minister has said more than once during his press conferences. 

Across India, the number of coronavirus cases are inching closer to 86,000-mark. More than 2,700 patients have died. The country on Friday, surpassed the virus tally of China, where the outbreak originated in December.