NEW DELHI (INDIA) – Delhi’s COVID-19 deaths increased by a record high on Thursday and it also reported the most number of infections in India.
Delhi late on Thursday reported 104 new deaths and 7,053 new infections. Data from the federal health ministry early on Friday showed that infections in the country increased by 44,789 in the last one day, taking the total to 8.73 million, only behind the US tally.
India’s deaths increased by 547 to 128,668.
Rajesh, a 38-year-old ambulance driver in a blue hazmat suit, said he and others had already taken six bodies to the crematorium on Friday, after carrying 14 on Thursday. They had transported only three to four bodies last week.
Rakesh, who gave only his first name, said, “There’s a sudden increase in deaths,” said “May be this is because of pollution, crowding.”
Many Delhi hospitals have already fallen short of intensive care beds and even normal COVID-19 beds are getting occupied fast.
The Delhi High Court on Thursday ordered if the city’s private hospitals are to reserve 80% of their critical-care beds for coronavirus patients.
The federal government has asked Delhi to make arrangements for resources to tackle cases of up to 15,000 a day during the winter season, when pollution spirals in the city, leading to a jump in respiratory issues.
Doctors say PM2.5 pollutants, fine particles found in high concentration in Delhi’s air, can disrupt the nasal passage barrier, weaken the inner lining of lungs and facilitate the spread of coronavirus infection.