Delhi recorded its highest single day spike in COVID-19 positive cases with 1,024 cases, taking the total number of cases in the national capital to 16,281, a notification by the Directorate General of Health Services, Delhi, said on Thursday, 28 May.

The spike comes after Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal announced several relaxations in the fourth phase of the lockdown.

As India’s total tally as of 9 pm on Thursday stood at 1,58,333 according to the Union Health Ministry data, Niti Aayog said that the discharge rate in COVID-19 cases has accelerated after a change in policy.

VK Paul, Member, NITI Aayog and Chairman, Empowered Group-1, said on Thursday that even in the previous policy, corona patients were recovering but were not counted until they tested negative.

"Before the new guidelines, the patients were discharged after some time and with certain conditions. But the patients had already recovered. With our data, it was found that the patients were recovering timely. It was also found that they were testing negative or even if the test came positive, it is the inactive virus," Paul said while speaking to media.

So, he said the data gave authorities the confidence that the patients can be discharged a little early.

The Union Health Ministry on Thursday said the recovery rate of COVID-19 patients in India is 42.75 percent.