Delhi on Thursday recorded 607 new COVID-19 cases, the highest in about two-and-a-half months, while one more fatality pushed the death count to 10,949, the Health Department said.
The number of active cases rose to 2,924 from 2,702 a day ago, according to a health bulletin.
The 607 new cases took the infection tally to 6,45,632 while 6.31 lakh people have recovered so far. One new fatality took the count to 10,949, while the positivity rate rose to 0.76 per cent from 0.66 per cent on Wednesday, the bulletin said.
Delhi recorded 536 cases on Wednesday and 425 on Tuesday, with a positivity rate of 0.61 per cent.
A total of 80,253 tests, including 48,737 RT-PCR and 31,516 rapid antigen, were conducted on Wednesday, while the number of people under home isolation rose to 1,519 from 1,438 a day ago, it 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 of worry, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday announced the number of people vaccinated in Delhi each day will be raised from around 40,000 to 1.25 lakh.
In the last three days, the number of daily COVID-19 cases in Delhi has increased to over 500, he said, adding that though it was a "negligible" rise, his government has directed officials for stricter tracking, tracing and isolation of cases.
Mr Kejriwal said the number of vaccination centres in Delhi will be doubled and will be opened from 9 am to 9 pm.
The chief minister, at a press conference, said it did not add up as while vaccination was going on cases, of viral infection were rising.
