2,442 fresh COVID cases take tally to over 89K in Delhi; death toll climbs to 2,803

New Delhi, Jul 1 () Delhi recorded 2,442 fresh coronavirus cases on Wednesday, taking the infection tally in the city to over 89,000, while the death toll from the disease mounted to 2,803, the authorities said.

Recently, Delhi had eclipsed Mumbai as the city worst-hit by the pandemic in the country.

Sixty-one fatalities were recorded in the past 24 hours, the Delhi health department bulletin said on Wednesday.

The death toll from COVID-19 in Delhi stood at 2,742 on Tuesday.

The bulletin said the death toll due to the infection has risen to 2,803 and the total number of cases mounted to 89,802.

Besides, Mahesh Verma, the head of a Delhi government committee tasked with strengthening the preparedness of hospitals to battle coronavirus, has said the city's COVID-19 tally may not reach 5.5 lakh cases by July-end as estimated earlier, but one needs to see how the virus behaves during the monsoon.

Meanwhile, a Delhi government panel has recommended roping in postgraduate students, pooling of resources and cash incentives to address the problem of staff shortage in hospitals amid a surge in coronavirus cases, sources said.

The two-member committee, comprising Verma and Dr BL Sherwal, director, Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH), was formed last week.

According to the bulletin, 59,992 patients have recovered, been discharged or migrated so far, while the number of active cases stood at 27,007, adding that 5,51,708 tests have been conducted.