Delhi on Saturday logged 1,396 COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 31.9 per cent, the highest in 15 months, according to data shared by the city government's health department.

The city had recorded a positivity rate of 30.6 per cent on January 14 last year.

With the new cases, Delhi's COVID-19 tally climbed to 20,21,593. Five fresh fatalities pushed the death toll to 26,560, the health department bulletin stated.

Of the latest fatalities, COVID-19 was the primary cause of death in one of the cases, while it was incidental in the other four, it stated.

According to the bulletin, the fresh cases emerged out of 4,376 tests conducted the previous day.

The department did not issue a bulletin on Friday.

Delhi reported 1,527 COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 27.77 per cent on Thursday, and two deaths.

At 1,149 cases, the national capital's daily tally crossed 1,000 for the first time in more than seven months on Wednesday, with a positivity rate of 23.8 per cent. One fatality was recorded but the health department said coronavirus was not the primary cause of death.

Delhi had recorded 1,964 cases on August 18 last year.

The number of COVID-19 cases had dropped to zero on January 16 for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic. However, the city has witnessed a spurt in cases over the last fortnight.

The health department bulletin on Saturday said 267 of 7,951 beds in Delhi's dedicated COVID-19 hospitals are occupied, while 2,977 patients are in home isolation.

The number of active cases currently stands at 4,631, it said.

Mock drills were conducted at Delhi hospitals on Tuesday to ascertain their preparedness to tackle COVID-19.

Medical experts have said Omicron sub-variant XBB.1.16 could be driving the surge in cases in the city.

However, they maintained that there is no need to panic and people should follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and get their booster shots.

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj had said on Thursday that XBB.1.16 is not leading to severe infection among children.

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