New Delhi under weeklong curfew from tonight to curb Covid-19 infections
India's capital Delhi will be placed under complete curfew for a week from tonight.
The weeklong curfew comes amid a record rise in Covid-19 cases that have severely stressed the city's resources and health infrastructure.
This was announced by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today, reports our New Delhi correspondent.
Delhi is the worst-hit Indian city and has the highest number of Covid-19 cases as the second wave of the virus intensifies across India. Delhi had earned the same dubious tag of the worst-hit for some time during the first wave last year.
The decision was taken at a meeting between Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
"We took this tough decision taking into account the current situation," Kejriwal said adding the lockdown would help the Delhi government to arrange more hospital beds and oxygen supplies.
He said the exponential rise in cases every day has put the health system of Delhi under severe stress with a crisis in the availability of hospital beds and oxygen cylinders for severe Covid-19 patients.
Kejriwal has already written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urgently seeking more hospital beds run by the central government and oxygen cylinders.
Employees of all private offices will work from home, and only government offices and essential services will be open, sources said.
Delhi recorded the biggest jump in its daily Covid-19 tally with 25,462 fresh cases on Sunday and 23,500 cases in 24 hours till this morning, with a positivity rate of nearly 30 percent, meaning nearly every third sample being tested in the city is turning out positive.
Delhi was under a weekend curfew on Saturday and Sunday to break the chain of transmission of the virus.
On Saturday, 24,375 Covid-19 cases and 167 deaths were reported in the city in 24 hours.
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