Covid Surge: Arvind Kejriwal Announces Weekend Lockdown In Delhi

Amid an exponential rise in Covid-19 cases, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a weekend lockdown in Delhi on Thursday.

Malls, gyms, spas, auditoriums in Delhi will remain closed and cinema halls will operate with 30 per cent capacity, said Kejriwal.

During the lockdown, all essential services will be allowed. Takeaway and home deliveries will also be allowed.

In a virtual address, Kejriwal asserted that there is no shortage of beds in hospitals in Delhi and per the latest data 5,000 beds are available across the city.  Efforts to increase beds on a large scale will also be made, he assured.

According to the Delhi government’s dashboard, of the 15,225 beds for Covid-19 patients in Delhi, 4,816 are currently vacant. In the case of ICU beds, only 545 out of 3,771 are available. 

The government will also ensure strict enforcement of COVID appropriate behaviour such as wearing masks, Kejriwal said, noting that many people were still not following it.

The decision comes after a review meeting that was attended by  Lt Governor Anil Baijal, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and top officials of the Delhi administration. 

Delhi is among the worst-hit cities. The city recorded 17,282 fresh cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, the highest single-day surge in the national capital since the onset of the pandemic, while over 100 fatalities were reported, according to data shared by the health department.

As per the latest bulletin, 104 new fatalities were recorded, pushing the death toll to 11,540.

These record new positive cases came out of record 1.08 lakh tests conducted the previous day, the bulletin said, adding, the positivity rate mounted to 15.92 per cent.