The new COVID-19 cases today took the overall count to 6,68,814 in Delhi. (File)
Delhi saw the highest daily surge in COVID-19 cases of the year today after recording 3,594 new infections in the last 24 hours, even as the government today ruled out imposing any lockdown.
The last time the daily Covid cases were this high was on December 4 last year when the city recorded 4,067 infections.
The new cases today took the overall count to 6,68,814 while 14 deaths pushed the death count to 11,050 in the city.
The overall positivity rate in the national capital stands at 4.54 per cent. At least 2,084 people recovered from coronavirus today, bringing the total number of active cases down to 11,994.
A total of 87,505 tests, including 54,898 RT-PCR tests and 32,607 rapid-antigen tests, were conducted a day ago.
Amid a continuous rise in COVID-19 infections, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, after a meeting with top officials today, said despite a surge in daily cases, the situation is less serious than compared to the last waves due to a lower death rate.
He said Delhi will not go into lockdown again. "In the last few days, COVID-19 cases have been increasing exponentially in Delhi. However, there is no need to worry. We are monitoring the situation well. Despite a surge in daily cases, the situation is less serious than compared to the last waves due to a lower death rate," the chief minister said.
Delhi reported 2,790 new coronavirus cases on Thursday and 1,819 cases a day before that, making Thursday's jump a huge 53 per cent.
Mr Kejriwal once again pushed for opening up the vaccination drive to all age groups, saying, "Centre should allow states to vaccinate everyone on war footing. Need to involve non-healthcare facilities in inoculation drive."
India reported 81,466 new COVID-19 infections on Friday, the highest daily number in six months, as several states were hit by a new wave of the coronavirus.
Vaccination drives have been intensified amid the recent surge of cases, and many states are considering imposing fresh curbs on movement of people.