COVID-19 death toll in Delhi rises to 160; cases cross 10,000-mark

New Delhi, May 18 () The death toll due to coronavirus in Delhi has mounted to 160 as the total number of COVID-19 cases reported in the national capital crossed the 10,000-mark on Monday, authorities said.

A total of 299 fresh cases were recorded while the total number of active cases stood at 5,409.

With this Delhi has become the fourth state, where the total cases have crossed the 10,000-mark. Maharashtra has 33,055 COVID-19 cases, Gujarat 11,379 and Tamil Nadu 11,224, according to data shared on the union heath ministry website.

In a bulletin issued on Monday, the Delhi health department said the death toll from coronavirus has risen to 160, and the total number of cases mounted to 10,054.

It, however, added the cumulative death figures refers to fatalities where primary cause of death was found to be COVID-19, as per the report of the Death Audit Committee on the basis of case sheets received from various hospitals.

On Sunday, the total number of cases stood at 9,755, including 148 deaths.

With 299 fresh cases, the total number of coronavirus cases in Delhi has climbed to 10,054.

Of the total number of deceased patients, 82 were aged 60 and above, accounting for over 52 per cent of the fatalities here.

Forty-five of them were aged between 50-59 years and 33 were less than 50 years, the bulletin said.

Facing criticism for "under reporting" COVID-19 deaths, the Delhi government on Sunday issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for hospitals and other health facilities in the city on reporting fatalities due to coronavirus.

An order has been issued regarding standard operating procedures for handling ofdead bodies of COVID-19 patients or people suspected to have had COVID-19, in accordance with guidelines on dead body management issued by the health ministry, the bulletin said.

Meanwhile, a teacher of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation has been counted to be infected by coronavirus, officials said.

"As per information given by in charge of Adarsh Nagar dry ration distribution centre, a teacher has been found infected with COVID-19. So, eight staff members who worked with the teacher there, have been sent to quarantine, and the school is being sanitised, and so the centre remained close today," a senior official said.

A total of 4,485 patients have recovered. Even discharged or migrated so far, while there are 5,409 active cases, the Delhi health department said.

A total of 1,39,727 COVID-19 tests have been conducted till date, it said.

Total number of COVID-19 positive patients under home isolation stands at 2250, it said.

According to the Delhi Health Department bulletin, out of the total 10,054 cases recorded so far, at least 1,772 are admitted at various hospitals like LNJP Hospital, RML Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital and Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH) and AIIMS Jhajjhar, adding 160 of them are in ICU and 22 on ventilators.