Delhi: Metro Suspended, Extends Lockdown Till May 17

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Delhi-lockdown

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced to extend the lockdown till May 17 morning to control the further spread of coronavirus. Besides announcing a lockdown extension, he also issued a slew of strict restrictions for the national capital.

The Delhi government had been forced to impose lockdown amid a steep rise in Covid-19 cases on April 20. Although the cases have come down and the positivity rate has reduced from the high of 35 percent on April 26 to around 23 percent now, but strictness is needed, he said during a virtual address.

Here are some fresh guidelines issued by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA):

  • Metro train services suspended during the lockdown.
  • Prohibition of wedding ceremonies at public places. Marriages will be held at home or in courts with not more than 20 people.
  • Service providers or owners of hotels, banquets, marriage halls, sound systems, DJ, catering will have to return the advance payments for marriages during the lockdown or will have to mutually agree on a later date for the ceremonies.
  • Authorities including local administration, police, civic bodies and Mandis will be responsible for ensuring Covid-19-appropriate behavior at inter-state bus terminals, railway stations, wholesale vegetable and fruit markets, and shops providing essential goods.
  • Movement on the roads will also be closely monitored during the lockdown.
  • Delhi Police authorities will ensure effective checking of persons and vehicles on the roads by putting an adequate number of pickets with the objective to prevent unnecessary movement of people on roads during curfew.

Speaking on the ongoing vaccination drive in Delhi, he said inoculation is also going on at a fast pace although there is a lack of adequate vaccine stock. Over 1.29 lakh beneficiaries were vaccinated on Saturday, the highest since the inoculation drive began on January 16. Of these, 90,289 were those who got their first dose, according to a health bulletin by the Delhi government released on Sunday There are 86,232 active cases, including 52,263 in-home isolation. More than 14,500 people recuperated, taking the number of recoveries to 12.17 lakh, the bulletin stated.

Delhi-lockdown

Meanwhile, Delhi on Sunday recorded 273 more Covid-19 deaths, the lowest since April 21, and 13,336 new infections with a positivity rate of 21.67 percent, the Health Department said. The number of new cases, the lowest since April 12, can be attributed to a smaller number of tests — 61,552 — conducted on Saturday. The number of cases stands at 13,23,567 and the death toll at 19,344. A total of 61,552 tests, including 49787 RTPCR/CBNAAT/True Nat, were conducted on Saturday. At 21.67 percent, the positivity rate is the lowest since April 16 when it stood at 19.7 percent.

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