People should get tested, mask mandate be brought back: Doctors

New Delhi: With the Covid-19 positivity rate in Delhi breaching the five per cent-mark again, doctors on Sunday said people developing coronavirus-like symptoms should get themselves tested and authorities should make the wearing of masks mandatory to help check the spread of infection.

The Covid-19 positivity rate in the national capital has jumped from 0.5 per cent to 5.33 per cent in two weeks. While the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) will take stock of the situation on April 20, the doctors said that the meeting should have been held here in view of the recent daily spurt in cases and the major spike in the positivity rate.

On Saturday, the city logged 461 cases with a positivity rate of 5.33 per cent, while two deaths were also reported. On Friday, Delhi had recorded 366 cases. Before this, the city had reported a positivity rate of 5.09 per cent on February 1, while on January 31, the figure was 6.2 per cent.

Doctors at leading government and private hospitals emphasised that there was a need to increase testing in the wake of the spike in cases, even as they said that"no drastic restrictions" were needed as of now.

"People who are developing symptoms are not going for Covid test, largely.

Now, with a surge in cases and the positivity rate beyond five per cent again, I would urge people to go for testing if they are having symptoms.

"Even those going for home isolation should go for testing," said a senior doctor at LNJP Hospital.

Dr Ritu Saxena, who heads the emergency department at the Delhi government's largest facility and a key COVID-19 hospital here, said that large gatherings should now be avoided and people should wear masks and follow COVID-appropriate behaviour.

The Delhi government had on April 2 stopped the imposition of fines for not wearing masks.