COVID-19 Patients in Home Isolation Up by 43% in Delhi with Rise in New Cases by 50%: Govt Data

New Delhi, September 3: The number of COVID-19 patients in home isolation in Delhi has increased by 43 per cent as active cases rose by 50 per cent in a month, according to Delhi government data.

The city reported 10,596 active cases on August 1. Of them, 5,660 were in home isolation. Only 2,979 of the 13,578 hospital beds were occupied a month ago.

Whereas, government data shows, the number of patients in home isolation increased to 8,119 and active cases rose to 15,870 by September 1. Patients under home quarantine saw a marginal increase in the first 15 days of August -- from 5,660 to 5,809 -- while the number of active cases rose by 893 to reach 11,489. Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra Account for 62% of Total Active COVID-19 Cases in India, Says Union Health Ministry.

The number of patients in home isolation dropped to 5,707, while active cases reduced to 11,271 by August 20 owing to a good recovery rate. Out of the 11,998 cases on August 25, around 6,000 patients were recovering in their home, an analysis of Delhi government's health bulletins show.

With Delhi witnessing a marked uptick in new cases, the number of patients in home isolation crossed the 7,000 mark on August 29. It rose to 8,119 on Tuesday.

The national capital had 15,870 active COVID-19 cases as on Tuesday.

The city on Wednesday recorded 2,509 new COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day spike in around two months. The daily cases count was 2,312 on Tuesday and 1,358 on Monday. The city reported 1,808 new cases on Friday, 1,954 on Saturday, 2,024 on Sunday.

Experts attribute the increase in new cases to increased public movement after easing of lockdown restrictions, non-residents coming to Delhi for treatment and return of migrant labourers from other states.

Government data shows that of the 8,577 COVID-19 patients admitted to city hospitals in August, 2,536 or nearly 30 per cent belonged to other states, mostly from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The rise in the number of new cases has also led to a 44 per cent increase in the demand for beds in hospitals in the city since July end.

The occupancy of beds reserved for COVID-19 patients was 18 per cent on July 30, with only 2,958 out of 16,038 beds being occupied. It increased to 30 per cent on Thursday, with 4,278 out of 14,146 beds occupied, according to data shared by the hospitals on Delhi Corona app.  As many as 8,407 patients were in home isolation.

In June, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal made a five-day institutional quarantine mandatory for every COVID-19 patient under home quarantine in Delhi, a move that the Delhi government has said will put considerable pressure on the city's already stressed health infrastructure. India Reports Biggest Single-Day Spike of 83,883 New COVID-19 Cases in Past 24 Hours, Death Toll Rises to 67,376.

It said the decision was "arbitrary" and will "seriously harm" the national capital. The AAP government's thrust has been on home isolation for asymptomatic patients. Later, the government had said that the L-G's reservations were resolved and the home isolation model would continue.

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