CAPITAL BACK IN LOCKDOWN
NEW DELHI: A six-day lockdown will be in force in Delhi till the morning of April 26, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Monday, citing a relentless surge in Covid-19 infections that has risen by close to 600% in the last two weeks and has now inundated hospitals and triggered a shortage in critical medical supplies.
Kejriwal said the city added 23,500 new cases in the last 24 hours, and that the curfew was necessary to allow enhancements in the numbers of beds and supplies of life-saving drugs and oxygen to catch up. The city, according to Delhi’s health bulletin on Monday, now has 76,887 active cases. It also registered a record 240 deaths -- the first time casualties were above 200 in a single day.
“Delhi’s health system is now unable to take in more patients. It is now necessary to impose a lockdown in Delhi from 10 pm today to 5am on Monday (April 26). Essential services will remain open, food and medicine shops will be allowed to operate, weddings will be limited to 50 guests. A detailed order will be released soon,” he said.
The decision was taken in a Covid-19 review meeting held between Delhi’s lieutenant governor Anil Baijal and Kejriwal on Monday morning. “The situation of Covid-19 in NCT of Delhi has again been reviewed and it has
been observed that there has been a very sharp increase in Covid-19 cases along with very high positivity rate over the last few days and therefore, it is felt that in order to contain the fast spread of the virus, a curfew needs to be imposed in the territory of NCT of Delhi, except for essential activities/services, as an emergency measure, in order to break the transmission chain of Covid-19 virus and for the overall well being and safety of the people of Delhi,” said the order issued shortly afterwards by chief secretary Vijay Dev.
While the restrictions are not entirely a curfew, movement will be prohibited unless someone is seeking or providing essential services and medical help.