3 min readNew DelhiJan 6, 2022 07:05 AM IST
First published on: Jan 6, 2022 at 04:10 AM IST
Delhi recorded more deaths in a single day than it did in the months of September, October and November as Covid cases continued to surge, driven largely by the Omicron variant. A senior health official, however, told The Indian Express that of the eight who died in the past 24 hours, seven were above 60 and most had severe comorbidities. Three had received both doses of the Covid vaccine.
“Of the eight who died in the past 24 hours, three had received both shots of the Covid vaccine, but had significant comorbid conditions. Two were above the age of 75 with several other age-related complications. One patient was 59 years old but was suffering from a serious chronic disease. The rest were between the ages of 60 and 75,” said the official.
A ninth death, of a child from Ghaziabad, was also reported, but he had been brought in after being injured in an accident and was tested before surgery.
Delhi reported 10,665 cases at a positivity rate of 11.88% on Wednesday, up from 5,481 cases at a positivity rate of 8.37% a day before.
The surge in cases has prompted the Delhi government to direct nine of its hospitals to add over 1,000 beds for treatment of Covid patients. “In view of the rapid spread of Omicron variant in Delhi, (the nine) hospitals under GNCTD are hereby directed to escalate the bed capacity immediately,” Deputy Secretary (Health) Ajay Bisht said in an order.
With 1,500 beds, the Indira Gandhi hospital in Dwarka will have the most Covid-19 beds, followed by Lok Nayak and GTB hospital with 750 beds. Indira Gandhi hospital was operationalised during the second wave of the pandemic in the city.
Hospital bed occupancy, too, went up from 531 to 782 in a day. While patients on oxygen support dropped from 168 to 140, those on ventilator support went up from 14 to 22, as per the state’s health bulletin.
According to data, 28 people with Covid died in August, five in September, four in October, seven in November, and nine in December. In the first four days of January alone, 13 deaths have been recorded.
In a meeting of health department officials, the need for asymptomatic and mild patients to monitor their oxygen levels regularly was discussed. “Like in the last wave, we are seeing that some people are coming in with oxygen saturation levels in the low 90s or 80s. They do not have any other serious symptoms and are not breathless. By the time they reach hospitals, they are in acute respiratory distress. We urge those who have Covid to monitor oxygen levels and report to hospitals in case their saturation falls below 93,” said the health official.
Hospital bed occupancy, too, went up from 531 to 782 in a day. While patients on oxygen support dropped from 168 to 140, those on ventilator support went up from 14 to 22, as per the state's health bulletin. (File Photo) 
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