5.5 lakh COVID-19 cases expected in Delhi by July 31: Manish Sisodia

New Delhi, June 09: Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday said that there could be 5.5 lakh COVID-19 cases in the national capital by the end of next month.

"Till June 15, there will be 44,000 COVID-19 cases and we would need 6,600 beds. We would hit one lakh cases and would require 15,000 beds by June 30."

"Till July 15, the cases would mount to 2.5 lakh and we would require 33,000 beds and till July 31, there will be 5.5 lakh cases and we would need 80,000 beds," Sisodia told reporters.

However, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain earlier today said that AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria has accepted that there is community transmission in the national capital but it is up to the Centre to make a declaration about it.

There has been a steady rise in Delhi's coronavirus count since the last week of May. At least 1,000 people have tested positive for novel coronavirus in the national capital in last 24 hours.

"We can say that [there is community spread] only when Centre admits it... Community spread is when there are cases in which source [of infection] cannot be ascertained... Almost half of our cases are like this," the health miniter said.

Jain added that the source of about 50 per cent of coronavirus cases in Delhi is not known.