Week-long lockdown in Delhi from today; know what will be shut and open
The Delhi government has imposed a complete lockdown in the national capital from 10 pm on Monday (April 19) till 5 am April 26 in view of an exponential rise in COVID-19 cases.
Delhi on Sunday clocked in its highest-ever single day spike of 25,462 fresh infections and recorded a positivity rate of almost 30 per cent. On Saturday, 24,375 new infections and 167 deaths were reported.
Related news: PM holds meet as India logs 2,73,810 daily COVID-19 cases
Know what remains closed and what will be open
As per the curfew rules, all private offices will work from home while government offices and essential services will operate as usual.
Grocers, shops selling food and medicine and newspaper sellers will function. Banks, ATMs, insurance offices will operate. Home deliveries and takeaways will also be allowed.
The Delhi government had imposed some restrictions in the earlier order as well. Accordingly, auditoriums, restaurants, malls, gyms and spas will remain closed. No social, religious or political gathering was allowed. Only 50 people are allowed in weddings and 20 in funerals. All these instructions stand valid during the lockdown that will be valid till April 26.
COVID situation has become very serious in Delhi: Kejriwal
On Friday, chief minister Kejirwal in letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal had requested to increase bed capacity in Centre-run hospitals and replenish medical oxygen sources.
“The COVID situation has become very serious in Delhi. There is a huge shortage of beds and oxygen. I request that at least 7,000 out of 10,000 beds in central government hospitals in Delhi be reserved for COVID patients and oxygen be immediately provided in Delhi,” Kejriwal wrote to Modi.
On Saturday, during a public address, Kejriwal said the COVID-19 situation in Delhi is “serious and worrisome” and that the city is running out of beds, medical oxygen and Remdesivir.
The country on Monday registered its highest daily infections of 2,73,810, and 1619 deaths, taking its total tally to 1,50,61,919.
Related news: TN hospitals have adequate oxygen stocks, says govt official
Maharashtra which is logging the most cases in the country, on Sunday declared six states – Kerala, Goa, Gujarat, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand – as the places of “sensitive origin”, and made it mandatory for travelers from these states to carry a negative RT-PCR test result (taken 48 hours before the travel) to gain entry into the state.
While Prime Minister Modi has called a meeting on Monday to take stock of the situation, the Shiv Sena has demanded the government to convene a special Parliament session to discuss the situation and come up with measures.
