The daily count of fresh Covid-19 infections in Delhi went up to 1,040 and seven patients died due to the disease on Wednesday, according to the state health department bulletin.

The health authorities are concerned over the spread of coronavirus infections in the national capital as over 1,000 cases were reported for the second day in a row.

The number of active cases in the city stood at 4,708 out of which 305 patients are currently undergoing treatment in hospitals.

The positivity rate, which shows the number of confirmed Covid cases in every 100 people tested, stood at 21.16 per cent on Wednesday, the health bulletin showed.

A total of 4,915 samples were tested for Covid over the last 24 hours.

Health experts have advised that people should wear masks and avoid crowded places to check spread of the disease. They have also advised the regular washing of hands and use of sanitizers as part of the Covid appropriate behaviour.

The fresh surge is being attributed to the new XBB1.16 variant of Covid-19 which spreads fast but in most cases hospitalisation is not required. However, the infection could prove fatal in the case of the elderly and those with co-morbidities.