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The national capital will continue to be in lockdown till next Monday (May3), Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Sunday. The lockdown already in place was supposed to end tomorrow (April 26) at 5 pm.
Situation grim
The decision has been taken in the wake of the continuing difficult situation in terms of rising Covid-19 cases in the capital. “Given that cases are still rising, we have consulted with the people of Delhi and decided to extend the lockdown by one more week”, Kejriwal said at a digital press conference.
On the oxygen shortage issue, Kejriwal said that Delhi government had started a portal that will be updated every two hours by Oxygen manufacturers, suppliers and hospitals for better management of oxygen supply. He said that central and state teams are working together on this.
The Delhi government’s decision to extend the lockdown by one week came a day after the national capital achieved a grim milestone with its total Covid-19 infections surpassing the million mark to touch 10,04,782 cases as of Saturday. In the last 11 days alone, Delhi has added about 250,000 positive cases, sending the healthcare infrastructure in the capital into a tailspin amid huge oxygen shortage in the city’s ongoing fourth wave.
In the last 24 hours upto Saturday, there were 357 Covid-19 related deaths and 24,103 new cases were reported, the Delhi State Health bulletin issued on Saturday evening showed. The number of tests done on Saturday stood at 74,702.Test positivity rate came in at 32.27 per cent, reflecting the alarming situation in the capital.
DDMA order
Meanwhile, Delhi on Sunday eased it's earlier condition on inter-state and intra state movement of goods during the curfew, with effect from Monday.
An order issued by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Sunday said that there will be no restriction on inter-state and intra state movement of all types of goods/cargo and empty trucks including those for cross land border trade under treaties with neighbouring countries. No separate permission or e-permits will be required for such movements, the DDMA order added.
Delhi has also now allowed additional activities during curfew period-- courier services, services provided by self-employed such as plumbers, electricians, shops of electric fans and shops of educational books for students.
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