Amid the fresh upsurge in coronavirus infections in Delhi, the city today recorded 716 new Covid cases — the highest single-day count this year — while four more people died from the contagious, deadly virus, according to the Delhi government’s latest health bulletin.

The number of active cases rose to 3,165 from 2,924 the previous day, even as over 6.32 lakh Covid-infected people have recovered in the national capital so far, the health bulletin said. Delhi’s Covid positivity rate jumped to 0.93 per cent from yesterday’s 0.76 per cent, the bulletin said.

A total of 77,352 tests, including 47,078 RT-PCR tests, were conducted to detect today’s fresh cases. The number of patients under home isolation rose to 1,624 now.

The fresh cases took the city’s tally to 6,46,348, while its Covid toll rose to 10,953, the bulletin stated. Delhi had yesterday recorded 607 Covid cases and one coronavirus-linked fatality.

It had reported 536 cases on 17 March and 425 cases on 16 March. Health experts and doctors have attributed the fresh upsurge in Covid cases to “people turning complacent, not following Covid-appropriate behaviour and assuming all is well now”.

A total of 585 coronavirus cases were reported in Delhi on 1 January and 424 cases on 3 January. The daily count had dropped to 306 on 11 January and had risen again to 386 on 12 January, according to official figures.

The numbers had started to come down in February. On 26 February, the month’s highest daily count of 256 cases was recorded in the city.

Asserting that the recent rise in Covid cases in Delhi was not a cause for worry, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced yesterday that the number of Covid vaccinated people in the city each day will be raised from the current 40,000 to 1.25 lakh. He had said that the Delhi government had directed officials for stricter tracking, tracing and isolation of coronavirus cases.

The CM had also said that the number of vaccination centres will be doubled to 1,000 from about 500 at present involving both government and private facilities. The closing time for vaccination would be extended from existing 9 am to 5 pm to 9 am-9 pm.

Meanwhile, according to an official order, the Covid vaccination centres in the Delhi government’s hospitals will operate till 9 pm starting 22 March.

A copy of the order issued by the Delhi government’s health department was shared by health minister Satyendar Jain in a tweet today. “Taking cognisance of the sudden surge in the COVID cases, all Delhi Govt hospitals will hereby operate vaccination sites in their premises till at least 9 pm. Adequate man power will be deployed to ensure the same. I request Delhiites to follow proper protocols and stay safe!,” he tweeted.

(With input from PTI)