The administration is planning to reinstate some curbs, such as lockdowns of some markets, if necessary, as the city battles its worst phase in the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Wednesday, Delhi recorded 7,486 new coronavirus cases, crossing the 5 lakh mark of total infections. It also recorded 131 new fatalities, the highest single-day count till date, pushed the number of deaths to 7,943, authorities said.
According to the latest bulletin issued by the Delhi health department, the new cases came out of over 62,000 tests conducted the previous day, marking a positivity rate of 12.03 per cent amid the festive season and rising pollution in the national capital.
On November 11, the state had reported the highest single-day spike in cases so far at 8,593.
The active cases in the state are at 42,458, whereas the total number of cases has climbed to 5,03,084.
The administration is planning to reinstate some curbs, such as lockdowns of some markets, if necessary, as the city battles its worst phase in the COVID-19 pandemic.
A city of 2 crore swathed in air pollution, where crowds thronged markets for Diwali last week is facing the health crisis at its peak, while other states continue to record a decline in Covid-19 cases.
During a live broadcast on Twitter on Tuesday, with his palms joined together, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal pleaded people to wear masks and maintain social distancing.
“If…we see that social distancing and mask-wearing is not being followed in any bazaar and there’s a possibility of those areas becoming a hotspot, we should be allowed to close them down for a few days,” the Delhi CM said.
The Kejriwal government has also cut the number of guests at such celebrations, to 50 from 200, as a popular time of year for weddings nears.
The capital, since the middle of May, has gradually opened markets and public transport shut during the early phase of the pandemic. However, the recent surge in cases may force the state government to enforce lockdowns in hotspots to control the spread of the virus.
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