Delhi on Sunday registered 22,751 new Covid-19 cases and 17 deaths due to the disease, official data showed.

The new cases on Sunday were 12.73% higher than Saturday’s figure of 20,181 cases. The number of deaths on Sunday was the highest since June 16, NDTV reported. The current case fatality rate in Delhi is 1.62%.

The national capital currently has 60,733 active cases and 10,179 people recovered from the disease in the past 24 hours.

The test positivity rate in Delhi increased to 23.53% on Sunday from Monday’s figure of 19.60%.

Data from the Delhi health department showed that 87.34% beds in dedicated coronavirus hospitals are currently vacant. Further, 86.01% beds in dedicated Covid care centres and 85.44% beds in dedicated Covid health centres are presently vacant.

In the past two weeks, coronavirus cases have increased sharply in Delhi. The jump in infections is believed to have been driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

No lockdown plan, but people must wear masks: Kejriwal

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday that there is currently no plan for a lockdown in Delhi, and there will be no need for one if people wear masks.

The chief minister said that while the rising cases are a cause for worry, there is no need to panic.

Kejriwal said that in the previous Covid wave, about 20,000 infections were reported on May 7. “But on May 7, there were 341 deaths, while yesterday, there were seven fatalities,” he said. “There should not be even one [death], but this is a point of comparison.”

In a similar vein, the chief minister said that on May 7, about 20,000 beds in Delhi were occupied, while on Saturday, only 1,500 beds were occupied.

Kejriwal said that there was no reason to be fearful, but urged people to be responsible. He also asked residents not to leave their homes for the next few days unless there is a compelling reason.

“The government is trying to impose as few restrictions as possible, so that people’s livelihoods are not affected,” the chief minister said. He also urged people to get vaccinated, saying that this will ensure that even they get Covid-19, the symptoms will be mild.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority will hold a meeting on Monday to review the Covid-19 situation along with experts and decide on the next course of action, Kejriwal added.

On January 4, the Delhi chief minister had said that he had tested positive for the coronavirus and had isolated himself at home. In the week before that, he had taken part in at least four rallies in the poll-bound states of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Kejriwal on Sunday said that he has returned to work and thanked people for their good wishes.