Delhi Has Already Peaked In Covid 2nd Wave, Experts Say: Arvind Kejriwal

The daily spike in cases in Delhi had crossed the 4,000-mark for the first time on September 9.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said the national capital witnessed the second wave of COVID-19 and has now turned the corner. The sudden daily spike in cases crossing 4,000, which took place earlier this month, was the second wave of the disease, Mr Kejriwal indicated.

This is the first time any state in the country claimed to have reached the second wave of the virus, which surfaced in Kerala in December. The total number of cases in Maharashtra, the epicenter of the disease, is 12,63,799 cases. Delhi stands at the fifth spot with 2,56,789 cases.

Speaking at a programme in PUSA (Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University), Mr Kejriwal said, "Experts feel that Delhi has peaked in the second COVID-19 wave that the national capital is witnessing".

"On September 16, Delhi recorded approximately 4,500 cases. After that, the cases started to decline and in the last 24 hours, 3,700 cases have come up in the national capital," the Chief Minister said, providing data.  "In the coming days, the numbers will decline further," he added.

The daily spike in cases in Delhi had crossed the 4,000-mark for the first time on September 9, when the total number of cases had crossed the 2 lakh-mark. The death count recorded that day was 20, the total number of fatalities was 4,638.

The 4,473 cases recorded on September 16, was the highest single-day spike since the disease reached the national capital. The daily spike in cases and fatalities recorded between September 15 and September 19 are: 4,263 (36 deaths); 4,473 (33); 4,432 (38); 4,127 (30); and 4,071 (38), according to government data.

At the time, officials had attributed the spike to the increasing number of tests being conducted in the city.

The National Capital saw its first case of coronavirus in March. The numbers thereafter went on increasing. A drop was registered in July, when the number of cases logged everyday remained between 1,000 and 1,500.

In this period, several MLAs and ministers in Delhi – including Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia -- have contracted the disease. Mr Sisodia is currently in the government-run LNJP hospital, where he was taken yesterday after he complained of fever and a drop in oxygen level.  

India's COVID-19 caseload has crossed the 57-lakh mark today, with 86,508 people testing positive in a day. The number of fatalities climbed to 91,149 with 1,129 people succumbing to the disease within 24 hours.