Lockdown in Delhi extended till May 17, metro services to be suspended

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi government has extended the lockdown in the city till May 17. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that metro services will remain suspended during the period.

Marriages can only be held at home or in court with not more than 20 people, according to an order issued by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).

"There will be a complete prohibition on marriage ceremonies at public places, banquet halls, hotels and similar places during the period," it said.

The extension is meant to ensure that the city does not let its guard down even though COVID-19 cases have dropped, Kejriwal said.

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'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 positivity rate has reduced from the high of 35 percent on April 26 to around 23 percent now, but strictness is needed," he added.

The chief minister also said that the 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.

Lockdown was first imposed in Delhi on April 19 and was supposed to end at 5 am on April 26, but it was extended. Kejriwal had on May 1 extended the lockdown till May 10, in view of the rising COVID-19 cases.

Delhi recorded 332 more COVID-19 fatalities and 17,364 new infections on Saturday, while the positivity rate remained below 25 per cent for the third consecutive day, the Health Department said.

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