Delhi under 6-day lockdown as Covid-19 cases, deaths soar

Due to the fear of the extension of the lockdown following Arvind Kejriwal’s announcement, scores of migrant workers were seen crowding at interstate bus terminals to leave Delhi.

Delhi went under a complete lockdown from Monday night, which will remain in place till the morning, of April 26, as cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the city have been rising at a tremendous pace. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal made the announcement on Monday as infections have increased by nearly 600% in the last two weeks in the national capital.

Police officers and paramilitary forces barricade a road in New Delhi, India, on Monday, (Bloomberg)

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“Delhi’s health system is now unable to take in more patients. It is now necessary to impose a lockdown in Delhi from 10pm 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,” Arvind Kejriwal said in a media briefing.

The massive spike in cases has triggered a shortage of medical supplies in hospitals in the Capital. With hospitals running out of beds, the Delhi government last week requested the Centre to make isolation coaches available at two railway stations, Shakur Basti and Anand Vihar, for Covid-19 patients.

Due to the fear of the extension of the lockdown following Arvind Kejriwal’s announcement, scores of migrant workers were seen crowding at interstate bus terminals to leave the city. “We are daily wagers, the chief minister should have given us some time before announcing the lockdown. It takes us ₹200 to reach home, but they are charging ₹3000 to ₹4000 now. How will we go home?" a migrant labourer told news agency ANI.

However, Arvind Kejriwal reached out to the migrants in Delhi. "I appeal to you with folded hands. It's a small lockdown, only for six days. Don't leave Delhi and go. I am very hopeful and that we won't need to further extend the lockdown. The government will take care of you," he said.

During the six-day lockdown in Delhi, movement will be prohibited unless someone is seeking or providing essential services, medical help, or needs to go to exempted workplaces, such as government offices. People in some of these categories will require an e-pass from the government, while others need to carry an identity card, according to the order issued by chief secretary Vijay Dev.

On Monday, Delhi reported record of 240 deaths due to the viral disease, the highest since the beginning of the pandemic last year, and 23,686 cases with a positivity rate of 26.12%, according to official data.