COVID death toll in Delhi climbs to 208; highest spike of 660 cases takes total to over 12,000

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New Delhi, May 22 () The coronavirus death toll in Delhi has mounted to 208, while 660 fresh cases of COVID-19 were reported on Friday, the biggest single-day spike here, authorities said.

The total number of cases in the city now stands at 12,319, they said.

The previous highest spike in fresh cases -- 571 -- was recorded on May 21.

This is the first time in Delhi that over 600 COVID-19 cases have been reported in a day.

Thursday was the third consecutive day that saw 500 or more fresh cases being recorded in the national capital.

In a bulletin issued on Friday, the Delhi Health Department said the death toll from coronavirus infection has risen to 208 and the total number of cases mounted to 12,319.

As many as 5,897 patients have recovered, been discharged or migrated so far, while there are 6,214 active cases, the department said.

It, however, added that the cumulative death figure refers to fatalities where the primary cause of death was found to be COVID-19, as per the report of the Death Audit Committee on the basis of case sheets received from various hospitals.

On Thursday, the total number of cases stood at 11,659, including 194 deaths.

Facing criticism for "under reporting" COVID-19 deaths, the Delhi government recently had issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for hospitals and other health facilities in the city on reporting fatalities due to coronavirus.

Country-wise, Delhi has highest number of cases after Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.

At a press briefing on the COVID-19 situation, V K Paul, Member of the Niti Aayog, said the COVID-19 outbreak in India has remained confined to limited areas, with 80 per cent of the active cases in just five states.

He said around 80 per cent of the COVID-19 deaths have been in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Delhi.

A doctor at a New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) dispensary tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, following which the premises of the health facility were sealed, officials said.

"A senior doctor at the NDMC HQ - Palika Kendra Dispensary took a COVID-19 test and was found positive today. She lives in the NDMC area and has been put under home quarantine with family members," a senior NDMC official said.

A total of 1,60,255 COVID-19 tests have been conducted till date, the bulletin stated.

The total number of COVID-19 positive patients under home-isolation stands at 2,881, it said.

According to the Delhi Health Department bulletin, out of the total 12,319 cases recorded so far, at least 1,835 are admitted to various hospitals like LNJP Hospital, RML Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital, Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH) and AIIMS Jhajjhar. It said 169 patients are in ICU and 27 on ventilators.

The number of containment zones in Delhi has been increased to 79, from 64 on Thursday.

Six new COVID-19 containment zones were declared in Dwarka and Kapashera area of southwest Delhi, the district administration said.

The containment orders were issued on May 21 after around 39 cases of coronavirus were reported in parts of southwest Delhi, including Vikaspuri, Kanganheri village, Palam Colony and Sadh Nagar.

The announcement comes two days after the Health Department asked all district magistrates to create containment zones in their respective areas as per the existing guidelines.

The department's direction was prompted by a mismatch that showed while the number of coronavirus cases was on the rise in the city, containment zones were shrinking. KND BUN GJS PLB ASK PR IJT