Delhi reported 509 fresh Covid cases at the end of Wednesday with the positivity rate shooting up to 26 per cent from 15.64% on Tuesday.

The positivity rate indicates the number of people that are confirmed to be Covid positive in each lot of 100 that are tested for the infection. It reflects the rate at which the coronavirus infections are spreading in the city.

The Delhi health department data showed that 1,918 Covid tests were carried out on Tuesday.

City Mayor Shelly Oberoi said all hospitals are “fully prepared” to deal with the coronavirus situation and appealed to people not to panic.

Delhi is seeing a surge in the daily count of fresh Covid cases in recent days amid a sharp rise in H3N2 influenza cases.

The number of fresh Covid cases in Delhi had been declining in recent months and had fallen to zero on January 16, for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, a total of 4,435 fresh COVID-19 infections were reported across the country in the last 24 hours, a significant jump from Tuesday’s of 3038 cases, according to the Union health ministry data. It is the highest single-day rise in the last nearly six months, the ministry said.

India’s active Covid caseload currently stands at 23,091 with a daily positivity rate of 3.38 per cent, the ministry said.

According to scientists it is the XBB.1.16 variant of Omicron that is causing the current Covid surge in the country.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has advised states to ensure that Covid appropriate behaviour including the wearing of masks and social distancing is observed in the affected clusters.