Delhi lockdown extended till morning of 17 May; curbs to be stricter this time, says Arvind Kejriwal

The ongoing lockdown in Delhi will be extended for another week up to 17 May morning and Metro train services will be halted during the period, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday.

He said although COVID-19 cases have come down in the last few days, any laxity would squander the gains achieved so far in the current wave of the pandemic.

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

"Keeping in mind the safety of our people, this lockdown will be stricter."

कोरोना के केस कम तो हुए हैं, लेकिन अभी किसी भी कीमत पर ढिलाई नहीं दी जा सकती।

दिल्ली सरकार ने लॉकडाउन को एक और हफ्ते के लिए बढ़ाने का निर्णय लिया है। हमारे लोगों की सुरक्षा को ध्यान में रखते हुए यह लॉकडाउन पहले से ज्यादा सख़्त होगा। pic.twitter.com/pFrMfC45uj

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 9, 2021

The lockdown, earlier scheduled to end at 5 am on Monday, will now be extended up to 17 May morning. This is the fourth week of the lockdown in the National Capital.

FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES ON coronavirus HERE

Apart from the Metro services, following are the key points from the lockdown order —

-Marriage ceremonies at halls or hotels have been prohibited. However, marriages can be organized at homes or in courts, with a maximum of 20 people allowed to be present.

-Essential activities that are presently permitted will continue to be allowed.

-District magistrates, deputy commissioners of police, authorities concerned will be responsible for ensuring COVID-appropriate behaviour at inter-state bus terminals, railway stations, mandis and shops providing essential goods.

-The police have been asked to put in place enough checkpoints in order to prevent unnecessary movement of people.

On Sunday, Kejriwal was quoted as saying by NDTV, "During the lockdown we utilised the time to enhance our healthcare infrastructure. The main issue in Delhi was oxygen shortage. With Centre's help, the condition is better now."

The chief minister also said that oxygen supply in Delhi has improved significantly in the last few days. Vaccination is also going on at a fast pace although there is lack of adequate vaccine stock, Kejriwal said.

With inputs from PTI