No fresh COVID-19 death was recorded in the national capital on Tuesday after a gap of about nine months while 100 fresh cases were registered with the Arvind Kejriwal government asserting that “Delhi’s collective will is gradually winning over the infection”

The cumulative death toll on Monday stood at 10,882, and the positivity rate dipped to 0.18 per cent on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi, saying, it was a “good news for Delhiites”.

“Today no death has been reported due to COVID infection in Delhi. Congratulations to people of Delhi. Corona cases have also come down and vaccination drive has picked up pace. People of Delhi have fought a tough battle against Corona. We have to still take all precautions,” he tweeted.

These 100 new cases came out of the 56,410 tests conducted the previous day. The positivity rate stood at 0.18 per cent, according to a bulletin issued by the Delhi health department. The last time zero fatality count was recorded in Delhi, was on May 11, as per the official data.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain tweeted: “Today no death has been reported due to COVID infection. Delhi’s collective will is gradually winning over the infection. I congratulate the people of Delhi for taking proper precautions and our healthcare and frontline workers who have fought this battle tooth and nail”.

The infection tally in the city rose to 6,36,260, authorities said. The active cases tally on Tuesday dropped to 1,052 from 1,096 the previous day, according to the bulletin. The total number of tests conducted the previous day, included 31,300 RT-PCR tests and 25,110 rapid antigen tests, it said. The city had recorded 96 coronavirus cases on January 27, the lowest in over nine months, and the first time the daily incidence count had stood below the 100-mark in that month. On Friday and Sunday, two deaths were reported in the national capital, same as on February 2, which was the lowest in about nine months.

Meanwhile, NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr V K Paul told reporters on Tuesday that from the pandemic point of view, “consistent gains” are being made in terms of declining new cases and new deaths. However, he said, the last national sero-survey findings have shown that over 70 per cent of the population are “still susceptible” to the disease, and stressed that herd immunity has to be achieved through vaccination.

“Deaths are being reported below 100 consistently and in the last 24 hours no new death has been reported in Delhi,” Paul said.

According to the Tuesday bulletin, out of the total number of 6,050 beds in COVID hospitals, 5,554 are vacant. It said that 135 beds in COVID care centres are occupied by people under quarantine, including travellers who have returned by Vande Bharat Mission and bubble flights.

Also, a meeting of the ‘State Task force for Immunisation’ was held on Tuesday under the chairmanship of principal secretary, Delhi health department, on the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive in Delhi, the bulletin said.

The number of tests done per million, as on Monday was over 5.9 lakh while the total number of tests stood at over 1.12 crore. The bulletin said that 6,24,326 patients have recovered, been discharged or migrated so far. The number of containment zones in Delhi dropped to 950 on Tuesday from 962 the previous day, authorities said. The number of people in home isolation dropped to 441 on Tuesday from 442 the previous day.