Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain on Friday said that the third wave of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) was waning in the state, with the positivity rate remaining below 5% for ten days in a row.
“The third wave of Covid-19 in Delhi is going down. We can now say that the peak was on November 7 when a positivity rate of 15.26% was recorded. Now, the positivity rate has remained below 5% for ten days,” said Jain in a press briefing.
He said, with over 70,000 tests a day, Delhi has been conducting one of the highest tests per million in the country. As of November-end, Delhi reported the highest test per million in the country at over 330,201. The national average stood at 100,159
Delhi was followed by Ladakh (241,355), Goa (237,626), and Andaman and Nicobar islands (202,033), which have a fraction of Delhi’s population.
“Currently, the situation seems to be under control. But, people need to continue wearing masks and maintaining social distance. It is because people of Delhi have cooperated that we are seeing this result. I also want to thank the healthcare workers who have worked day and night,” the minister said.
Delhi has tested over 71,741 samples a day on an average during December, compared to an average of 53,579 during November. Nearly half of these tests were done using the more accurate RT-PCR method. In Delhi, the ratio of tests had been skewed towards the less accurate rapid antigen tests since it was rolled out in mid-June during the first surge in the number of cases.
The number of RT-PCR tests had been ramped up in the city in mid-November after a meeting with the Union home minister Amit Shah.
“I agree that the reports for the RT-PCR tests, which should be given within 24 hours, is getting delayed in some places and we are trying to strengthen it. When we met with the Centre, we were asked to double RT-PCR testing. We doubled our testing, but the reports were getting delayed. Now, the situation is improving,” said Jain.
