Covid Scare: Delhi Conducts 250-400 RT-PCR Tests Daily, No Death Amid Surge In JN.1 Cases, Says Minister

Delhi government has started RT-PCR and around 250-400 tests are being conducted in the national capital regularly, health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said.

A medic puts up a notice at a Covid-19 testing centre after cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 were detected in the country. ( Image Source :PTI )

New Delhi: Amid an uptick in Covid-19 cases across the country, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Wednesday said the government has started RT-PCR tests in the national capital and around 250-400 tests are being conducted regularly, news agency ANI reported. Two persons tested positive on Tuesday and 4-5 patients are hospitalised. There hasn’t been any Covid-related death amid the recent surge, he said.

Speaking to the news agency, Bharadwaj said, “In Delhi, we have started RT-PCR testing and around 250 to 400 RT-PCR tests are being conducted daily. Two positive cases were there in yesterday's report. A total of 4-5 patients are admitted to the hospital. No death has been reported.”

#WATCH | Delhi: On the Covid situation, Delhi Health Minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj says, "In Delhi, we have started RTPCR testing and around 250 to 400 RTPCR tests are being conducted daily. 2 positive cases were there in yesterday's report. A total of 4-5 patients are… pic.twitter.com/0H8ovMobRB

— ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2023

Urging the people not to panic, he said, “I have written to the health secretary asking him to share the genome sequencing reports of the positive cases. We don’t know the variant yet but even if it is the new variant, there is no need to panic as the patients are manifesting mild symptoms.”

Earlier on Tuesday, the minister had said the positivity rate in Delhi stood at 1 percent and asked the people to follow precautions during the festive season.

"The new variants are not dangerous but people should not become lax and (they must) follow precautions. People should not panic and think that the virus is spreading and people are dying. But people should be cautious during this time of the festival season," news agency PTI quoted Bharadwaj as saying.

Six persons tested positive for the new sub-variant JN.1 taking the total number to 69. India logged a single-day spike of 412 fresh Covid-19 cases while the active caseload rose to 4,170 on Tuesday.