Delhi Covid-19 lockdown extended till May 24; metro services to remain shut
Talking about the Covid-19 cases in Delhi, Kejriwal had earlier said that the national capital has recorded less than 10,000 cases in the last 24 hours which is the first time this month.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced extension of Covid-19 lockdown in the national capital till May 24. "We are extending the lockdown for one more week. Instead of tomorrow, lockdown is extended till next Monday, 5am in Delhi," Kejriwal said while speaking to reporters.
Kejriwal said that the lockdown is being extended as the gains made so far in combating Covid-19 cannot be lost due to relaxations now.
"The recovery rate is going up and the positivity rate is going down. In the last 24 hours, around 6,500 new cases have been recorded in Delhi and the positivity rate has dropped to 10% -- down from 11% the previous day. We cannot let our guards down now," the Delhi CM said.
When asked if Delhi metro service would resume, the chief minister said,"Restrictions will remain as it is this week."
Movement of people and economic activities are prohibited in the lockdown with exemptions for those engaged in essential services and the supply chain of essential goods. Metro services will continue to remain suspended and public buses have been asked to cater only to essential service providers.
The is the fourth time that the lockdown, which was first imposed on April 19, has been extended in the national capital. It was scheduled to end at 5am on Monday.
Talking about the Covid-19 cases in Delhi, Kejriwal earlier on Saturday said that the national capital has recorded less than 10,000 cases in the last 24 hours which is the first time this month.
In a virtual press conference on Saturday, Kejriwal said that the lockdown has played an important role in checking the spread of Covid-19 in Delhi and asserted that people must take all necessary precautions to ensure that cases do not rise.
Delhi on Saturday recorded 6,430 fresh Covid-19 cases and 337 more fatalities, while the positivity rate dipped to 11.32 per cent, authorities said. The national capital had recorded 8,506 new cases on Friday.
Kejriwal had also talked about starting an oxygen concentrator bank. "Essential to provide oxygen to Covid patients, on time. We have started this for such patients. 200 such banks set up in every districts. Our team will provide the concentrator at doorstep of patients in home isolation, if needed," he added.