COVID-19 positivity rate declined from 36% to 19.1%: Delhi Health Minister

New Delhi: Over the last few days, the COVID-19 positivity rate in the national capital has declined from 36 per cent to 19 per cent, informed health minister Satyendar Jain on Tuesday, adding that the caseload has dropped to 12,500.

He added that till the positivity rate reaches below 5 per cent and the caseload goes below 3,000 to 4,000 cases per day, citizens can't be at ease.

"In the last few days, the positivity rate has declined from 36 per cent to 19.1 per cent with the caseload also going down from 28,000 per day to about 12,500. Till we reach positivity rate at below 5 per cent and caseload below 3000-4000 cases, we can't be at ease," Jain said.

Delhi reported just 12,651 new COVID-19 cases, 319 deaths and 13,306 recoveries in the last 24 hours, a significant improvement from its peak of over 28,000 last month.

The health minister also warned that the second wave is still very much there and about 80,000 tests are being conducted every day.

When asked why testing numbers had reduced over the last few days, the health minister said that due to the lockdown, people aren't coming out as they did before.

"The wave is very much there, but seemingly its peak is gradually declining since April end. Every day about 80,000 tests being done. Due to lockdown, people aren't coming out, while earlier people were going out with everybody being tested," he said.

Jain further informed that the demand for oxygen remains high although beds are less, they are available.

"We have about 23,000 beds of which 20,000 are occupied, It's a huge number. Oxygen supply should continue otherwise it will be problematic. We are getting a little less than the requirement of 700 tonnes LMO," he said.