The COVID-19 positivity rate in Delhi has jumped to 1.29 per cent from 0.19 per cent between December 23 and December 29, according to government data.

The national capital has been witnessing a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases as well as the positivity rate for the last 10 days. The city has also been witnessing a steady increase in the number of cases of the Omicron variant of the Coronavirus, which stood at 238 on Wednesday.

According to the data, the positivity rate was 0.19 per cent on December 23 and it went up to 1.29 per cent on December 29 (Wednesday). The data showed that the positivity rate climbed steadily over the last seven days. On December 24, it reached 0.29 per cent and then jumped to 0.43 per cent on Christmas (December 25).

On December 26, the positivity rate went up to 0.55 per cent. On December 27, it again breached the 0.5-per cent mark and stood at 0.68 per cent, prompting the Delhi government to announce a "yellow" alert and impose restrictions on certain activities on Tuesday (December 28).

On December 28, the city recorded 496 fresh Covid cases with a positivity rate of 0.89 per cent. On Wednesday, the positivity rate breached the one-per cent mark and stood at 1.29 per cent with 923 fresh cases.

The data showed that the daily bed occupancy in the city also grew steadily between December 25 and 28. On December 25, the daily bed occupancy was 221, which went up to 230 the next day. On December 27, the daily bed occupancy was 266 and it climbed to 280 on December 28 (Tuesday).

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) sounded the "yellow" alert under its Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on Tuesday, after the Covid positivity rate was recorded above 0.5 per cent in the national capital for two consecutive days.

It ordered a closure of schools, colleges, cinema halls and gymnasiums with immediate effect and clamped various restrictions on the functioning of shops and public transport. A "yellow" (level-1) alert is sounded when the Covid positivity rate is recorded above 0.5 per cent for two consecutive days or the number of fresh cases of the infection stays at 1,500 or above for seven days or the oxygenated-bed occupancy stays at 500 or above for seven days.

An "amber" alert under the GRAP is declared when the positivity rate is recorded at one per cent or above for two consecutive days. The DDMA, at its meeting on Wednesday, decided that the Covid-related restrictions imposed in Delhi under the "yellow" alert will continue for the time being and the authorities concerned will monitor the situation for a while before deciding on fresh curbs.

With inputs from PTI.