Delhi logs 153 fresh COVID-19 cases, positivity rate jumps to 9.13 pc

Delhi recorded 153 fresh coronavirus cases with a positivity rate of 9.13 per cent on Sunday, according to data shared by the health department. Delhi reported 139 cases with a positivity rate of 4.98 per cent on Saturday. It saw 152 cases with a positivity rate of 6.66 per cent on Friday and 117 cases with a positivity rate of 4.95 per cent on Thursday.

The city had logged cases in three-digit figures last October.

Delhi has seen an increase in the number of fresh Covid cases over the last few days amid a sharp rise in H3N2 influenza cases in the country.


The city registered 84 coronavirus cases with a positivity rate of 5.08 per cent on Wednesday. On Tuesday, it had reported 83 cases with a positivity rate of 5.83 per cent and a fatality linked to the disease.

The number of fresh cases had seen a decline over the past few months in Delhi. It had dropped to zero on January 16, the first time since the pandemic began ravaging countries.

With the fresh cases, the national capital's COVID-19 tally has increased to 20,08,732, while the death toll stands at 26,524.

The health department data also showed that 1,675 tests were conducted on Saturday.

Thirty-nine of the 7,984 beds are occupied in dedicated COVID-19 hospitals, while 340 patients are in home isolation, it said.

The number of active cases in the national capital currently stands at 528, the data showed.

Amid a gradual increase in COVID-19 cases in Delhi in recent days, some medical experts say the new XBB.1.16 variant could be driving the rise in cases but add there's no need to panic and people should follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and get booster shots if they have not already.

They also say this rise could be a result of more people getting themselves tested for Covid as a precaution when they actually get infected with the influenza virus and develop fever and related ailments.

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj had last week said there were not many influenza cases in city hospitals and the situation is being monitored closely.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said that the rise in influenza cases is due to the Influenza A subtype H3N2 virus.

The H3N2 virus is leading to more hospitalisations than other subtypes. The symptoms include runny nose, persistent cough and fever.